Decoding Wine Flavours

Determining and disecting flavours in wine is a matter of training and practice, but wine journalist Max Allen has made life easier for you by putting together the guide below:

According to Max, some flavours, smells and tastes in wine can tell you a lot about how and where it was made, and what it was made from:

vanilla, coconut - the wine has been matured in oak barrels

toast, grilled nuts - bottle-aged white wines can develop toasty, nutty flavours

black pepper, spice - can be found in red wines, particularly shiraz, made from grapes grown in cooler climates

black berries - can be found in red wines made from thin-skinned grapes such as cabernet sauvignon and shiraz.

red berries - can be found in red wines made from thin-skinned grapes such as pinot noir and grenache

butter, cream, toffee - barrel-matured white wines that have been through malolactic fermentation

limes, citrus fruit - white wines made from riesling

lychees, rosewater - white wines made from gewurztraminer

green capsicum, mint - red wines made from under-ripe grapes or from cooler regions

cut grass, green peas - white wines made from sauvignon blanc

pineapple, tropical fruit - white wines made from very warm climates

chocolate, olives - full-bodied red wine from warmer climates

raisins, prunes - red wines made from over-ripe grapes

Source: The really Useful Pocket Wine Book, by Max Allen - Available at Armadale Cellars for $9.95.