Yeasts

Single-celled microorganisms used to convert sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide during fermentation.

What are tertiary aromas/flavors in wine?

A. Aromas and flavors that come at the end of a sip, right before you swallow or spit the wine

B. The three main aromas/flavors in any given glass of wine; these are the most important aromas and flavors to pay attention to

C. The aromas/flavors in a wineglass that hover in the airspace above the wine before the wine is swirled

D. Aromas/flavors that result from aging a wine

When analyzing wine, professionals often split aromas/flavors into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary aromas and flavors come from the grape itself or natural factors in the vineyard. Pinot noir, for example, often displays the primary aromas/flavors of red cherries, strawberries, and a certain earthiness. Secondary aromas and flavors come from winemaking. The smell and flavor of oak in chardonnay is a secondary aroma/flavor that results from fermentation or aging in oak barrels. Similarly, the aroma and flavor of bread dough in Champagne is a secondary aroma/flavor that results from long aging on lees. Tertiary aromas and flavors are those that come from time. After, say, ten years, a great cabernet sauvignon no longer smells or tastes simply of cassis or other primary aromas/flavors. It takes on almost impossible-to-describe aromas and flavors that result from molecules in wine coalescing over time into whole new compounds.

Power Zin

Why are many zinfandel wines good in alcohol? Several factors are at work, but one of the leading ones is this: zinfandel has a genetic proclivity to ripen unevenly. On the same cluster, some grapes will be… Continue reading

Get WineSpeed