You may wonder why smelling a wine is recommended before tasting and also about the practice of swirling. A simple explanation is our sense of taste is directly linked to our sense of smell. Flavors essentially act as odors and the smells of a wine make up its aroma sending signals to our brain.
Swirling a little before sniffing helps release the wine’s particular flavors. Smelling can also help discover any spoilage in a wine. A vinegar smell, for example, is common in wines that have turned becoming better suited to use as vinegar rather than drinking. Try smelling a wine before swirling and then smell it after swirling when it is at rest. You may notice a big difference.
When tasting, you might also try experimenting with how the wine tastes on various parts of your tongue. Taking a minute to sip and let it work around different areas of the tongue can open up awareness of different sensations.Keep in mind that sniffing and swirling is not necessary to enjoy a wine. It is though interesting and educational.
