Start with a broad group
Take a gentle sniff and choose a broad group if one comes to mind: fruit, flowers, herbs, spice or something else. You might narrow fruit to citrus, then lemon. You can also stop at citrus. A short honest note is useful.
Aroma words describe resemblance. A wine that reminds you of vanilla does not necessarily contain added vanilla. Grapes, fermentation and aging can all contribute to the aromas you perceive.
Build a memory from everyday things
When preparing food, notice the difference between lemon juice and lemon peel, or a fresh plum and a dried one. Try recalling one smell before checking it. These small comparisons build a vocabulary grounded in your own experience.
You can do this lesson without wine. Choose two familiar foods or spices that you can safely handle. Describe each without reading its label, then compare your descriptions. Skip anything that could trigger an allergy.
Keep your observation independent
Write your first impression before reading a producer's note. Then use the note as a suggestion to explore. It is fine if you do not find the same aroma.
In a fictional tasting, Lee writes 'apple-like, perhaps fresh rather than cooked.' That is already informative. Adding 'unsure about flowers' is more honest than filling a list with aromas Lee did not notice.
Put it into practice
Check your understanding
Describe a familiar smell, a remembered wine or Lee's fictional tasting. Give a broad group and one more specific word. Include uncertainty where needed.
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Try the Prosecco aroma guideSources behind the lesson
WSET: training your palateThe explanations and exercises are original Corkly material. Examples marked fictional describe invented tastings.