Discovery
Recognising a wine blind isn't magic — it's classification. Before identifying a grape or a region, you first learn to sort a smell into a family. Once that vocabulary is set, the rest of the nose becomes readable.
Cherry, raspberry, strawberry, redcurrant. The signature of light-to-medium young red wines: Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Chinon.
Blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry. Darker, denser than red fruit. Typical of full-bodied reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah.
Lemon, grapefruit, lime. The signature family of crisp, fresh whites: Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet, dry Riesling.
Peach, apricot, pear, apple. Rounder whites, sometimes lightly oaked: Chardonnay, Viognier, Chenin.
Violet (reds), acacia and linden (whites), rose (some rosés and Gewurztraminer). A discreet family, usually a supporting note to another one.
Black pepper (Syrah), cinnamon and clove (oak ageing), ginger. A frequent sign of barrel ageing or a naturally spicy grape.
Green pepper, cut grass, boxwood, tomato leaf. Typical of Cabernet Franc and under-ripe Sauvignon Blanc. In excess, it's a flaw; as a light touch, it's a signature.
Vanilla, coffee, toast, smoke, coconut. Comes from oak barrel ageing, never from the grape itself. An "over-oaked" wine is one where this family drowns everything else.
Leather, mushroom, forest floor, game. A sign of evolution — an aged wine, or a deliberately rustic style (mature Burgundy Pinot Noir, some Rhône reds).
Cork taint (wet cardboard), rotten egg (reduction), vinegar (volatile acidity). These aren't aromas to appreciate — they're warning signs. More on that here.
Sorting by family isn't learned from a book — it's trained nose-on-glass. The fastest method: take an isolated aroma (a cherry, a green pepper, a vanilla pod) and smell it on repeat until the marker sticks.
→ Train your nose with Nez Express on Verso — the mini-game that sorts aromas by family, one at a time.