Wine Bouquet

Is there a difference between aromas and bouquets in wines?

Yes, there is. The difference is distinct, but it can be really confusing to... more

by Bill and Linda Tiepelman

Title

Wine Bouquet

Artist

Bill and Linda Tiepelman

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photograph

Description

Is there a difference between aromas and bouquets in wines?

Yes, there is. The difference is distinct, but it can be really confusing to differentiate aromas from bouquets. Even the most famed wine critics sometimes confuse these two. To be precise, when a wine specialist talks about a wine's aromas, he is referring to that wine's primary and secondary aromas (i.e. varietal aromas and vinous aromas).

When he talks about a wine's bouquet, he is referring to that wine's tertiary aromas. To put it even more simply, while it is true that there are three main aromas in wines, only the primary and secondary aromas qualify as 'aromas' in wine lingo; the tertiary aroma is referred to as 'bouquet'. That, in a nutshell, is the difference between aromas and bouquets.

Wines owe their bouquet to the post-fermentation and the maturing process. The bouquet is developed only during the post-fermentation stage and in the wine bottle itself. Aldehydes and esters are formed during the oxidation of the fruit acids and alcohol in the wine bottle. As such, a bouquet takes time, actually years to develop. A good, mature wine will have a complex bouquet. After all, a wine's bouquet is a combination of aromas bundled together to form new aromas (you could call it perfume if you want).

Uploaded

December 5th, 2013