Ten Aromas

Top ten aromas you don’t want to smell in your wine this fall.

Compound	What it Smells Like
Acetaldehyde	Stale straw; roasted nuts
Amyl-acetate	Fake candy banana flavoring
Brettanomyces	Barnyards, fecal matter, gamey horses
Cork taint	Damp dog in damp basement sitting on damp cardboard
Butyric acid	Rancid butter
Ethyl acetate	Weak vinegar, paint thinner, nail polish remover
Hydrogen sulfide	Rotten eggs, garlic that has gone bad
Mercaptans	Burnt garlic or onion
Oxidation	Cooked bruised fruit and walnuts
Sulfur dioxide	Burnt matches

Spanish cava must, by law, be made from one or more of seven grape varieties. Pinot noir, subirat, and trepat are the three lesser-known options. Four other grapes are the main ones. Which of the following is not a variety used to make cava?

A. Chardonnay

B. Ull de Llebre

C. Parellada

D. Xarel-lo

While Ull de Llebre (or “eye of the hare” in Catalan) is a Spanish grape grown in the Penedès, it is not a part of the seven grapes legally allowed to make cava. (It is, however, the local name for tempranillo). While chardonnay often adds finesse to cavas, the varieties macabeo, parellada, and xarel-lo are the most important. Macabeo is fruity and aromatic with good acidity. Parellada is the most delicate of these Spanish grapes and are often grown in higher, cooler vineyards. And you can thank xarel-lo for giving cava most of its personality by contributing good acidity and a generous, round body.

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Ten Aromas

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