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Aromas: the words for what you smell.

When people say a wine smells of peach or pepper, they are comparing. There is no fruit or spice in the bottle: grapes, yeast and time create aromas that remind us of them. Here are the 129 comparisons WeWine uses, in 16 families.

Floral

14 aromas

Blossom, petals and perfume: strongest in aromatic whites such as Moscatel and Riesling, and as violet or rose in some reds.

You will meet it in: Albariño, Moscatel, Merseguera, Rosado, Bobal, Mencía, Fino & Manzanilla, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Prosecco, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Malbec, Nebbiolo

  • Hanging clusters of pink and lilac blossom
    Acacia
  • A single chamomile flower with white petals and a yellow centre
    Chamomile
  • A flat cluster of tiny cream elderflowers with green leaves
    Elderflower
  • Bright pink-red geranium flowers
    Geranium
  • A large red hibiscus flower
    Hibiscus
  • Long, curling yellow and cream honeysuckle flowers
    Honeysuckle
  • A violet-blue iris flower
    Iris
  • White jasmine flowers among dark green leaves
    Jasmine
  • Three sprigs of lavender
    Lavender
  • A cone-shaped cluster of purple lilac
    Lilac
  • A full, deep pink peony
    Peony
  • A heap of dried rose petals and flower heads
    Potpourri
  • An orange-red rose in bloom
    Rose
  • Two small violet flowers
    Violet

Citrus

9 aromas

Lemon, lime, grapefruit and orange: the zesty side of fresh whites and many sparkling wines.

You will meet it in: Albariño, Verdejo, Moscatel, Merseguera, Cava, Rosado, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio

  • Green bergamot fruits, whole and cut, with leaves
    Bergamot
  • A bowl of clementines
    Clementine
  • Half a pink grapefruit
    Grapefruit
  • A whole lemon and a lemon half
    Lemon
  • A whole lime and a lime half with leaves
    Lime
  • A pile of mandarins with leaves
    Mandarin
  • A jar of orange marmalade beside mandarins
    Marmalade
  • An orange with a green leaf
    Orange
  • Strips of orange peel showing the white pith
    Citrus pith

Apple & pear

4 aromas

Crisp apple, juicy pear and quince: the orchard notes of many whites, Cava and Prosecco.

You will meet it in: Verdejo, Godello, Merseguera, Cava, Fino & Manzanilla, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Prosecco

  • A red apple with a leaf
    Apple
  • A yellow pear
    Pear
  • Quinces, one cut in half, with leaves
    Quince
  • Gooseberries hanging from a branch
    Gooseberry

Stone fruit

4 aromas

Peach, apricot and nectarine, usually in riper, rounder whites.

You will meet it in: Albariño, Godello, Moscatel, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Prosecco

  • Three apricots
    Apricot
  • A nectarine with a leaf
    Nectarine
  • A ripe peach with a leaf
    Peach
  • An orange persimmon
    Persimmon

Tropical fruit

9 aromas

Pineapple, mango, passion fruit and melon: the sunny, exotic end of white wine, from warm places or very ripe grapes.

You will meet it in: Verdejo, Moscatel, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Prosecco

  • Two ripe bananas
    Banana
  • A guava, whole and halved, showing pink flesh
    Guava
  • Half a kiwi fruit
    Kiwi
  • Two lychees on a stem
    Lychee
  • A ripe mango
    Mango
  • A cantaloupe melon cut open
    Melon
  • A papaya cut in half, showing its black seeds
    Papaya
  • Passion fruits, one cut open
    Passion fruit
  • A whole pineapple
    Pineapple

Red fruit

9 aromas

Strawberry, raspberry and cherry: the bright fruit of rosados and lighter reds.

You will meet it in: Rosado, Bobal, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mencía, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo

  • A few cranberries with leaves
    Cranberry
  • Two red-purple plums with leaves
    Red plum
  • A pomegranate and a split half full of seeds
    Pomegranate
  • A small pile of bright red sour cherries
    Sour cherry
  • A single strawberry
    Strawberry
  • Two dark red cherries on their stems
    Sweet cherry
  • A pile of raspberries
    Raspberry
  • A sprig of red currants with a leaf
    Red currant
  • A jar of fruit jam surrounded by dried fruit
    Jammy fruit

Black fruit

8 aromas

Blackberry, blackcurrant, plum and dark cherry: the deep fruit of fuller reds.

You will meet it in: Bobal, Monastrell, Mencía, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec

  • Dark, almost black cherries on their stems
    Black cherry
  • A sprig of blackcurrants with leaves
    Blackcurrant
  • A blackberry with leaves
    Blackberry
  • A handful of blueberries
    Blueberry
  • A pile of dark boysenberries
    Boysenberry
  • A sprig of small red berries with leaves
    Bramble
  • Dark mulberries hanging from a branch
    Mulberry
  • A dark blue plum with a leaf
    Plum

Dried fruit

6 aromas

Raisin, fig, date and prune: sun-dried, very ripe or long-aged fruit, typical of sweet and older wines.

You will meet it in: Moscatel, Monastrell, Tempranillo, Pedro Ximénez

  • A few glossy dates
    Date
  • Dried figs in a wooden bowl
    Fig
  • Slices of fruitcake studded with dried fruit
    Fruitcake
  • A few prunes
    Prune
  • A heap of raisins
    Raisin
  • A bowl of dried apricots, raisins and cranberries
    Dried fruit

Honey & noble rot

3 aromas

Honey, beeswax and saffron: often found in sweet wines and in whites with some age.

You will meet it in: Moscatel, Riesling

  • A close-up of golden honeycomb
    Beeswax
  • A jar of honey with a honey dipper
    Honey
  • Red saffron threads spilling from a glass jar, with crocus flowers
    Saffron

Caramel & sweets

3 aromas

Caramel, butterscotch and sweets: from very ripe fruit, long ageing or oak.

You will meet it in: Pedro Ximénez

  • A shiny red gumball
    Bubblegum
  • Cubes of butterscotch glazed with caramel sauce
    Butterscotch
  • Caramel sauce pouring over soft caramels
    Caramel

Spice

10 aromas

Pepper, cinnamon, clove and anise: the warm, prickly notes of many reds and of oak-aged wines.

You will meet it in: Monastrell, Garnacha, Syrah, Nebbiolo

  • Fresh ginger root, whole and sliced
    Ginger
  • Star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves and other whole spices around a mound of ground spice
    Five-spice
  • A heap of small seeds with star anise
    Anise
  • Black peppercorns in a wooden spoon
    Black pepper
  • Green cardamom pods and seeds
    Cardamom
  • Cinnamon sticks on ground cinnamon
    Cinnamon
  • Ground red pepper in a bowl, with dried red chillies
    Red pepper
  • Ground white pepper in a bowl, with white peppercorns
    White pepper
  • A pile of whole cloves
    Clove
  • Whole nutmegs
    Nutmeg

Green & herbal

14 aromas

Cut grass, mint, thyme, fennel, olive and tomato leaf: green, leafy and savoury notes.

You will meet it in: Verdejo, Merseguera, Monastrell, Garnacha, Mencía, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon

  • Black olives with olive leaves
    Olive
  • A heap of dried, crumbled eucalyptus leaves
    Eucalyptus
  • Pale green fennel seeds
    Fennel
  • Fresh mint leaves
    Mint
  • Dried thyme in a bowl beside sprigs of thyme
    Thyme
  • A bunch of green asparagus
    Asparagus
  • A glossy red bell pepper
    Green bell pepper
  • Loose black tea leaves with fresh tea leaves
    Black tea
  • Fresh green blades of grass
    Cut grass
  • Green almonds in their fuzzy shells, one split open
    Green almond
  • A red chilli pepper
    Jalapeño
  • A pile of sun-dried tomato halves
    Sun-dried tomato
  • A ripe red tomato
    Tomato
  • Green tomato plant leaves
    Tomato leaf

Earth & mineral

15 aromas

Wet stone, chalk, slate, soil, mushroom and forest floor. “Mineral” is a comparison, not a measure of minerals in the wine.

You will meet it in: Albariño, Godello, Bobal, Monastrell, Mencía, Fino & Manzanilla, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo

  • Sticks of coloured chalk
    Chalk
  • A terracotta jug
    Clay pot
  • A piece of grey flint
    Flint
  • A cluster of amber crystals on rock
    Mineral
  • Dark oil pouring into a glossy pool
    Petrol
  • A terracotta pot of soil with a garden trowel
    Potting soil
  • Beetroots, one cut in half
    Red beet
  • A cracked face of grey slate
    Slate
  • A close-up of dark, crumbly soil
    Soil
  • An autumn forest path covered in fallen leaves
    Forest floor
  • A volcano rising above dark, rocky ground
    Volcanic rock
  • Wet, multicoloured pebbles
    Wet gravel
  • Two smooth stones stacked on wet sand by the sea
    Wet stone
  • A pile of white and brown mushrooms
    Mushroom
  • A pile of black truffles on moss in a forest
    Truffle

Bread, butter & cream

4 aromas

Fresh bread, butter, cream and cheese rind: notes from yeast and fermentation, typical of Cava and of whites aged on their lees.

You will meet it in: Godello, Cava, Fino & Manzanilla, Chardonnay

  • A block of butter on a dish
    Butter
  • A wedge of cheese on a whole cheese with its rind
    Cheese rind
  • A tall swirl of whipped cream
    Cream
  • A round loaf of crusty bread
    Sourdough

Oak

9 aromas

Vanilla, toast, smoke, cedar and coconut: what time in oak barrels can add.

You will meet it in: Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec

  • Mounds of ground spices with cinnamon sticks and star anise
    Baking spices
  • A cedar branch with small cones
    Cedar
  • Dark, charred wooden planks
    Charred wood
  • An open wooden box of cigars
    Cigar box
  • A halved coconut with white flesh
    Coconut
  • A bunch of fresh dill tied with string
    Dill
  • White smoke rising from a cup
    Smoke
  • A slice of golden toast
    Toast
  • Vanilla pods and white vanilla flowers on wood
    Vanilla

Nuts, leather & coffee

8 aromas

Nuts, leather, coffee, cocoa and tobacco: notes that come with age, in barrel or in bottle.

You will meet it in: Cava, Tempranillo, Fino & Manzanilla, Pedro Ximénez, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Nebbiolo

  • A pile of almonds with leaves
    Bitter almond
  • Cocoa pods cut open to show the beans
    Cocoa
  • Roasted coffee beans with a wisp of steam
    Coffee
  • A pile of hazelnuts
    Hazelnut
  • A sheet of tan leather with leatherworking tools
    Leather
  • Mixed nuts in and around a bowl
    Nuts
  • Rolled cigars with rising smoke
    Tobacco
  • A pile of walnuts in their shells
    Walnut

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