Wine Word of the Week: Aroma
By Kori ~ October 2nd, 2012.
This week’s Wine Word of the Week is aroma.
Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Aroma is an imprecise tasting term for a relatively simple smell such as that of a grape, fermenting must, or young wine. Originally from the Greek word meaning ‘spice’, it has evolved so that in generally current English it means ‘pleasant smell’ (as opposed to odors, which may be distinctly nasty). Wine-tasting professionals tend to use the word aroma to distinguish the smells associated with young wines from the more complex aromatic compounds which result from extended bottle age, generally referred to as bouquet.
Layman’s terms from Kori:
While some wine tasting professionals make a distinction between aroma and bouquet as does Ms. Robinson, generally the term aroma simply describes the flavor sensation that comes from sniffing a wine.
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