All red wine tastes the same? Let's talk about something different

Meat and game

The wines of the Northern Rhone Valley and the Bordeaux region are heavy and strong, often with a roast aroma. On the other hand, red wines like Pinot Noir, Barbaresco, Rioja and Pinotaghi, which tend to have red fruity flavors, are often found with aromas similar to rustic game. Meat and game flavors increase with age, so these flavors are often found in generally mature red wines.

smudging

The smoky flavor mainly comes from the influence of oak barrels, and the intensity of the smoky flavor depends on the way the oak barrels are roasted, the old and new conditions, and the aging time of the wine in the oak barrels. If a wine is aged in new oak barrels that have been thoroughly roasted, the wine will have a stronger smoky flavor. Smokier wines are less suitable for drinking at a young age and need time to age and soften. Such flavors are common in high-end wines from Napa and Bordeaux.

Cookies

The biscuity flavour is usually found in aged champagne, where the yeast autolysis in champagne gives a rich, digested biscuity flavour over time. This flavor can also be found in aged chardonnay, mainly due to the influence of oak barrels.

Chocolate

Chocolate is a common flavour and aroma in full-bodied red wines from hot regions, such as Merlot from southern France, Montebuchano from Abruzzo and Shiraz from the Barossa. Chocolate flavors can also be subdivided into milk chocolate, dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Such wines generally have ripe, sweet tannins and are quite strong in body and aroma. In addition to the influence of the grapes themselves, the deeply roasted oak barrels can also bring chocolate flavor to the wine.

Popcorn & Butter

Popcorn and butter flavors are sometimes often found together and are often found in oak barrel-aged white wines.

Bananas & bubble gum

Banana & Bubble Gum is the unique aroma of carbon dioxide impregnation. During brewing, the whole bunch of grapes is placed in an airtight container and carbon dioxide is artificially added to create an anaerobic fermentation. The anaerobic fermentation process produces more esters than normal fermentation, adding flavors such as raspberry, strawberry, banana, bubble gum, and marshmallow to the wine. Beaujolais Nouveau is a typical example of this type of wine.

kola

California Pinot noir wines tend to have a special cola-like finish, which is very special.

walnut

The flavor of walnuts is often found in aged Madeira wines, which is mainly derived from the Mamzi and Boer grape varieties commonly used in Madeira wines.

Eucalyptus leaf

It is often found in Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz from southern Australia and the Barossa Valley, as well as in Cabernet franc wines from Argentina. This is mainly due to the presence of cineulin in wine. Studies have shown that if there are lots of eucalyptus trees around a vineyard, the grapes will have a more eucalyptus-scented flavor. Eucalyptus trees produce cineulins that travel through the air and attach to the skin of grapes, entering the wine during winemaking.

mint

The mint aroma is more common in Cabernet Sauvignon grown in cooler regions, such as Bordeaux, Coonawarra and Chile. The mint aroma comes mainly from menthol, the same substance found in the leaves of mint.

licorice

Licorice flavors are common in Italian red wines, especially those made by Barbera and Nebbiolo.

iodine

Iodine is often found in Syrah in the Northern Rhone Valley and Sangiovese in Tuscany. The flavor is mainly derived from the local terroir and does not depend on the brewing method. It is also said that the closer the vineyard is to the sea, the stronger the iodine flavor will be.

beeswax

The scent of beeswax is usually found in aged white wines. The flavor of honey and beeswax comes mainly from the ethyl acetate produced during the fermentation of wine, which is extremely common in Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. Older riesling also develops ethyl acetate during aging, giving the wine a beeswax taste.

gasoline

The smell comes from a chemical called TDN, which is often found in the skin and juice of Riesling grapes. The average old riesling can smell a distinct smell of gasoline.

mineral

Mineral flavors, such as SLATE and flint, are present in both red and white wines, and flint flavors are often experienced in strong dry whites such as Chablis and Sancerre. Mineral flavors combined with acidity and aroma make a wine more attractive. The source of the mineral flavor is still a mystery, and there is no evidence that the flavor is related to the soil in which the grapes are grown.

musk

The musky odor found in many Old World wines, especially those from the Chateau Pontifico-Neuve region in France, is a distinctive animal odor that some people think of as perspiration.

Leather

The smell of leather is often found in red wines aged in oak barrels. This odor mainly depends on the winemaker's brewing process, as well as the aging of the wine, and has little to do with the grape variety itself. This scent is usually present in conjunction with vanilla, toasty, and tobacco aromas, which are mainly due to the influence of oak barrels on red wine. A lot of old Bordeaux has a leather flavour.

Cook the fruit

When you notice the taste of boiled fruit in your wine, the grapes are probably too ripe. Over-ripened grapes will result in a wine with low acidity and a loss of freshness. Such wine can also often feel the jam aroma, and high alcohol blend together, will make the wine taste become soft and relaxed. Many regional Australian wines have this characteristic.