Coach Hire Winery Tour FAQ's

Winery tours are all the rage right now, so it is a good idea to plan your trip well in advance. Nothing spices up a beautiful day than a visit to a good winery, and it does not matter if you are a wine expert or a novice, everybody enjoys the day.

Planning a wine tour is fairly straightforward providing you remember to take into account the following factors.

Firstly do your homework - more and more wineries are opening to visitors every year so choose which stops you wish to make well in advance. Balance your tour with new & old wineries included, that way you can experiment with some of the newer vineyards secure in the knowledge that you have some guaranteed bankers on your list.

Stick to what you like - what is your favourite tipple? With so many choices around you should plan around a certain type of wine that will make your day extra special.

Learn the details - make a short list up of your favourite places to visit and list their hours of operation, how much they charge, and what size groups they accept. Also can they provide refreshments or not.

Plan three to five stops - make sure your tour includes plenty of stops, there is no point driving around all day you can do that anytime. The tour should take up a full day so plan accordingly.

Consider the time of year - obviously at peak season the wineries may be very busy so you should consider taking your wine tour in the winter or spring when the whole experience will be more personal.

Take an empty box with you - often it is hard to resist buying a bottle or two from the wines you have tasted. To keep the wine safe take a wine carrier with you so when you get home you will have more than broken glass to sample.

Don’t be pressured to buy the wine - some wineries will have high-pressure sales techniques, so be prepared. After all a wine tour is an overall experience and to learn how the grapes are grown etc. Only buy the wine if you really want to, remember you are not obliged to buy the wine after tasting it, you have already paid for that privilege.

Know what to expect from a tasting - during your time at a tasting the experts will tell you all about the wine, how the wine is made and where the grapes were grown. The experts will also inform you of what tastes you are looking for and what the aroma should be like. They will also tell you how to do this, swirl, see, smell, sip, savour, and select.

Take a designated driver - if you are not taking part on an organised wine tour by a coach charter company then one of your party has to be designated as the driver. He or she should be fully aware of the route and where the wineries are. Of course this person has to refrain from tasting the wines.

Wine tours are very much educational experiences as well as being highly enjoyable. You will get to tour the vineyards and perhaps even try some of the fruit off the vines. Then you will get to know how the wine is made and the different production areas of the winery. Finally comes the highlight of the tour which of course is the tasting.

A wine tour can last from a day to a fortnight, and wine tours can be undertaken as part of a coach charter, in cars, limos, bicycles, even by kayak! As part of an elongated wine tour some people include cooking classes and games of golf or other sporting activities.

Many people take home wine from the vineyards they have visited so it is a good idea to take some extra money with you for your purchases.

Two types of tours - there are two types of wine tours that you can experience, firstly taking an organised tour, or secondly planning your own. Both have their own advantages, but perhaps on your first tour you should opt for the former so you know what to expect next time.

Going on a wine tour needs some preparation, just hopping on the bus to go to the winery is not the best way to enjoy your day and getting the best out of it. On the morning of the tour eat a hearty breakfast, even if you spit the wine out the alcohol can quickly creep up on you.

Avoid drinking coffee - or chewing gum and any other pungent drinks and food. Doing this will directly affect your palette and you will not be able to taste the nuances of the wine.

Bring plenty of water with you - as a rule of thumb drink twice as much water as wine, staying hydrated is critical.

Avoid anything that can affect you sense of smell - going wine tasting will need your sense of smell just as much as your taste buds. So it is not a great idea to wear perfume or after-shave lotion, and if you are a smoker be prepared that you will not get the same experience as non-smokers.

Dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes - just like any field trip you need to dress appropriately to last the whole day. Temperatures and weather can alter during the course of the day so take a lightweight rain jacket. Your footwear should be comfortable but sturdy enough to walk around the vineyards.

Each winery is very different and so the time it takes for a tour can vary from place to place. Tastings normally last between thirty minutes to forty-five minutes but again this can vary on the size of your party and how busy the winery is.

To get the most out of your wine tour you should aim for at least four wineries during the day. This obviously depends on the distance between the wineries but four is easily achievable.

Going on an official wine tasting at a winery is not like having a glass of wine at your pub. The standard pour in a tasting is about half what your local hostillery would give you, which is around two or three ounces (75-90 ml).

A standard bottle would be expected to deliver around ten tasting servings, which gives you an idea of the quantity you will receive. If you are hosting your own wine tasting event then it is best to cater on the generous side and allow two bottles per type of wine you are going to showcase.

Many people who go an an organised wine tour will visit three or four wineries during the course of the day. During each winery tour they will be expected to sample many different kinds of wine, and if every glass was swallowed then you would certainly get inebriated.

So if nothing else this is the reason you must spit out each wine after you have tasted it. To taste wine properly it is not just a case of drinking it, you should also smell the aroma, look at the colour, take a sip whilst breathing in, and finally spit the wine out. After all a wine tasting session is not an all-you-can-drink buffet.

There are four steps to taste wine properly, and these steps are what seasoned sommeliers do every time they assess a wine. This is a professional way of checking out a wine but can be used by almost anybody.

Firstly you must look at the wine, then smell it, taste the wine, and finally think about the experience.

• Look - to visually check the wine in neutral lighting. You must check the colour of the wine, how clear it is, the viscosity of the wine (wine legs). The colour of a wine tells a great deal about the wine, but don’t to check out the label on the bottle as this will tell you a whole heap of more information.
• Smell - smelling the aroma is really important and there are certain smells that you should look for.Fruit is one of the most common smells, so try to identify a fruit smell and define if the waft you are getting is citrus, perhaps tropical fruits or in the case of red wine are the smells reminiscent of black fruits, red berries, or perhaps blue fruits. There are three primary categories when it comes to the nose of a wine, the primary aromas would include fruits, herbs, and any floral hints. The secondary aromas would include things like nut husk, almond, peanut, cheese rind, or even perhaps beer, as these aromas come from the winemaking process. The tertiary aromas are from the aging of the wine, perhaps from in the bottle or the barrel. These aromas are usually, vanilla, cedar, baking spices, roasted nuts, leather and even coconut.
• Taste - obviously your tongue picks up the main flavours and detect salty, sweet, sour, and bitter. Every wine will have some element of sour, because all grapes have some acidity. Some wines like Pinot Grigio are famous for being bitter, sort of like tonic water. Some wines are far sweeter than others which is impossible to detect without tasting. Some wines also have a salt element, but this is fairly rare. The tongue can also feel the wine as in texture, and the higher the alcohol is in the wine the more the texture will change. The tongue also picks up on the tannins in the wine, that increase especially in reds. The final taste sensation is that of longevity, and how long you can still taste the wine after you drink it.
• Think - consider the overall effect the wine has left with you. Did it taste balanced? Was it too alcoholic? Perhaps too tannic? Was the wine one to savor or was it unmemorable? What was it that left an impression on you?

Visiting a winery can be a real treat, whether it is with the family or as a romantic couple. Perhaps you are meeting some friends and are planning a picnic lunch, but what foods do you take?

The first thing to ensure is the the vineyard allows you to bring your own food to their premises as many have restaurants and cafes available for visitors. The wineries that do accept food usually have picnic tables available and that suggests what sort of foods you should consider.

It is a good idea to bring food and snacks that fit well with wine tasting such as:

• Cheese & Crackers
• Nuts, including walnuts, pistachios, and cashews
• Berries
• Assorted cured meats
• Dark chocolate

And items that are favourites for outside consumption, such as:

• Pita chips and hummus
• Quiche
• Salads, pasta and green
• Pizza
• Grapes
• Brie cheese and crackers
• Vegetable sticks

Visiting a winery is a very laid back occurrence, but it is not an occasion for vests or bikinis. Obviously you are not out to dress to impress and the main order of the day is to be comfortable.

Firstly make sure you have comfortable shoes, there is always a fair bit of walking done on wine tastings and often you visit the vineyards and the production areas. So your footwear should be appropriate and fit for purpose.

Always bring layers of clothing with you, that way you will not be caught out by extremes of climate. Denim is the perfect choice for a winery visit, it is both comfortable but also casual so you will blend in perfectly.

Don’t bring loads of accessories with you, keep them to a minimum as you will only have to carry them around all day.

Every winery is different, some give extensive tours of the vineyards and the production areas. Some wineries just heard their visitors straight to the tasting rooms when they arrive.

For just a wine tasting expect to spend around forty-five minutes. This will give you enough time to taste the wines and to buy a bottle or two.

This all rather depends on the geographical distances between each winery on your tour. A well planned wine tour that will last a day will encompass around three to five wineries.

This is a relaxed pace and will give you more than enough time to taste your wines, have lunch, and take the occasional vineyard tour. You want to leave time so that you can chat to the people at the wineries and learn why their wine is different.

If you are visiting wineries that require an appointment to visit don’t book your appointments too close together. Leave enough time between set appointments as you can always fill any spare time up with adding an extra couple of visits.

The act of swirling wine actually increases the number of aroma compounds that are released into the air. This is also sometimes called orbital shaking, and it allows wine connoisseurs into the aroma of the wine.

Experts also say that this swirling motion draws oxygen into the air into the glass that helps to amplify the aromas.

Lovers of wine say that the nose of the wine is best enjoyed before you actually taste the wine. This way it heightens expectations of what is to come and make the whole wine drinking experience more pleasurable.

There is an age old expression that says drink what you like, and a wine is only good if you like it. To some extent this is true, some people prefer Italian food to Indian, but that is not to say that Indian food is inferior to Italian cuisine.

Some people prefer white to red and visa versa, but there are some excellent reds as well as whites. What is important is that you can recognise good wine examples of the type of wine you like. To sort through the chaff as you may say.

In a restaurant the sommelier can certainly point you in the right direction, firstly they will ask your wine preferences and then ask what you are eating. The problem comes when you are perusing through a wine store, and some wine labels are very difficult to decipher.

As we stated earlier choosing a wine is totally subjective, and everybody’s taste enjoyment is slightly different even drinking the same wine. But there are certain characteristics that must be taken into account when selecting a bottle: sweetness, acidity, tannin, body, and alcohol.

Start with White or Rose - if you are new to wine drinking then perhaps it is best to start with white or rose wine. But just the same as your food preferences, the wines you prefer will change over time. But it is common for younger people to enjoy the sweet taste at first, to develop a more dry preference later on in life.

Reflect on other flavours - your general taste preferences should also be taken into account when you choose wine. Certain wine tastes are very unique to wine but others can help you pick your wine. For instance if you prefer coffee an acidic wine might suit you best. Whilst somebody that enjoys apple juice may prefer sweeter wines.

Consider the occasion - the wine you choose should suit the occasion. Are you drinking by yourself or sharing with friends? Will you be pairing the wine with food? Is it a celebration? Perhaps ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you want a crowd pleaser?
• Are you pairing the wine with food?
• Will you be mixing wine with other drinks?

Read the label - the wine label will generally tell you all about the wine, so read it well. What is on the rear of the bottle is far more important than a fancy motiff on the front. When you know what to look for, reading a label is fairly straightforward. And the general rule of thumb is the more information, the better.

Don’t get hooked up by age - a common perception is the older a wine is, the better it is, but this is simply not true. Only a few select wines improve with age, and there is an ultimate age to drink even these wines.

Only wines that have high alcohol, high tannins, and high sugars are good for aging. And this means that generally speaking red wine ages better than white. What is more important is the vintage of the wine, and not the actual age.

Don’t buy purely on price - many supermarkets lower their prices on wines just like any other inventory on their shelves. So do not discard sale offers, the seller may be just trying to lower his inventory on that particular wine to boost sales.

Choosing to purchase an expensive wine purely on price can lead to a disaster, and it does not necessarily follow the more you pay for a bottle the better it will be.

Keep a record - finally keep a record of the wines you have tried, the ones you liked and the ones you did not. Study your list and see if there are any common factors that appear in the wines you like, such as grape variety, or country of production, and try others with similar traits.

Above all wine tasting should be fun, but going to where the wine is made means that you have to show some respect to the producers. This is why you should taste the wines properly and not just swig them down like you are out on the town.

Wine tasting should be something special, it should tantalise the taste buds and excite the senses. It should also be rewarding and memorable, and although tasting can be a bit of an art it can also be great fun.

The chances of improving your wine tasting experience will help if you learn the five S’s. See - Swirl - Sniff - Sip - Savor, these will help you take charge of your tasting and will give you a glimpse of what is to be an expert sommelier.

Once you have progressed through the five S’s then it is time to really taste the wine. Let the wine flow around your tongue, what are the flavours that you can taste? Are they dark cherries or perhaps grapefruit?

Use your tastebuds to pick up every flavor, are the tastes pure and clear? Does the wine smell of something it should not? Does the wine taste complex? When all the flavours stay on your tongue and linger this is a sign that you have a superior wine.

If the wine’s fruit flavours (blackberry, cherry, raspberry, citrus) dance on your palette and the finish lingers then you know that you have a good wine that is complex and balanced.

Everybody has different taste buds so recommending a particular wine is a little difficult. However, some wines are less complex than others and are easier for wine novices to start with.

Firstly we have to begin with red or white? The differences between these grapes comes from the skins, as the skins contain tannins. Tannins are quite bitter and are an acquired taste, and red wine is full of tannins.

White wines are more acidic in general than their red counterparts. But this can be avoided by opting for a sweet white wine such as Muscatel.

There are four basic descriptions that refer to wine: Sweetness, Acidity, Tannin, and Body. And these all combine to make the wine flavour. So whichever combination suits your palette better that is the type of wine that you should start with.

As a rule of thumb it is a good idea to start your wine drinking with a light wine that has no more than 12% alcohol. And stick to the most relatable flavours such as fruity, earthy, smokey, flowery, or spicy.

Also expect to pay between $10 - $15 as this price range the wine will be typical of their region or type. In other words a middle-of-the-road wine. A more challenging wine to taste will come at the next level around $25 to $35 bracket.

Popular White Wines - Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Moscato, Sauvignon Blanc.

Popular Red Wines - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel.

Wine experts say that during an adults lifespan we start by liking sweet, progress onto sour, then return once again to sweet. If this is true then sweet wines have a big part to play in our drinking habits.There are sweet wines in every category of wines, and this includes red, white, and rose.

Red - sweet red wines have had a bad press in the past for one reason or another. But this is not always the case and there are some fine sweet reds out there just waiting to be tried. Opt for Dornfelder, Schiave, Cabernet Franc, or a sparkling red such as Shiraz or Lambrusco.

White - white wines have the best reputation as sweet wines especially compared to reds which tend to be more bitter due to the tannins. Great options for sweet white wines are, Riesling, Tokaji, Chenin Blanc, Moscato, Sauterne, and Torrontes.

Rose - rose wines have a more limited choice when it comes to sweetness, to be on the safe side select White Zinfandel or Pink Moscato.

Overall, red wine is better for you than white wine, but of course this is if you keep to safe drinking limits. In fact red wine does not cause stomach fat and is possibly the best alcoholic drink to drink if you are trying to keep the flab away.

Red wines are also full of antioxidants such as resveratrol that are great for your body in so many ways. Resveratrol is contained in dark skinned berries, and this antioxidant helps to prevent blood clots, reduces levels of LDL cholesterol, and protects your blood vessels from damage.

Pinot Noir - this wine contains the highest amount of resveratrol than any other wine and only has 121 calories per five ounce glass.

Syrah/Shiraz - packed full of resveratrol as it is full of black coloured grapes.

Merlot - a soft and ripe wine that is good for reducing LDL cholesterol.

Madiran - made from the tannat grape this wine has high levels of polyphenol tannins which help to fight off bacterial infections.

Cabernet - this grape contains high levels of procyanidins, which are antioxidants that can improve your cardiovascular and arterial health.

On the face of it it would seem that overall that red wine is better to drink for your health than white. As white wines tend to be more acidic therefore are worse for your teeth. While red wines tend to have more cancer preventing antioxidants. As far as your figure is concerned the two types of wines roughly have the same amount of calories per equal serving.

Red Wine - contains resveratrol, which is an antioxidant that is good for the heart as it helps to prevent blood vessel damage and also LDL cholesterol. It also contains flavonoids which are another form of antioxidant.

White Wine - is good for your lungs, as it helps to keep the tissue healthy.

It has been proven that red wine in the right quantities is good for us on so many levels. In particular it is good for the skin as red wine is full of antioxidants such as tannin, resveratrol, and flavonoid.

These antioxidants help the aging of the skin by restoring collagen and elastic fibers. You will find that sagging skin, wrinkles and lines will be boosted dramatically by red wine consumption.

Acne Skin - if you apply red wine to acne it will help clean the pores and fight off the acne. This is because red wine has antiseptic properties and is also anti-inflammatory.

Natural Skin - Polyphenols are also present in red wine that will help the natural glow of your skin. Simply spray red wine on your face and massage it in gently for around ten minutes.

We all know that there are some classic food and wine pairings that bring the best out of both components. And that there are some strict pairings to be avoided at all costs.

Many cheeses and types of chocolate dishes are excellent with certain wines, but if you are looking to throw a wine party you may want to think of serving the following finger foods to accompany the vintages.

• Smoked Three Cheese Fondue
• Baked Brie with Figs & Walnuts
• Roasted Fruit & Cheese Plate
• Popcorn with Sesame Glazed Pistachios
• Shrimp Scampi Dip
• Homemade Cheese Straws
• Baked Ham & Cheese Roll-Ups
• Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Almonds
• Fig & Prosciutto Pizza
• Dark Chocolate Bark Bites

The term legs when speaking about wine mean are the tears that flow down the inside of the glass when you swirl wine around it. This normally means that the wine has a good structure and has body to it.

Some people study these legs and see if they are fast or slow or thick or thin. The legs do not guarantee quality, and experts say they do not say anything about the wine’s viscosity either.

Legs are actually created by a number of different relationships between the wine and the glass and between the water and alcohol in the wine itself. The way the legs slide down the glass normally indicates the level of alcohol, if they are slow and thick it indicated a higher rate of alcohol.

Although legs are great to look at, it does not actually tell us that much information about the actual wine.

It is not so much that you shake wine, rather that you swirl it. Researchers have discovered by swirling your wine around the glass it improves the taste of the wine. Actually what is actually happening is that the process lets air into the wine which unlocks its aroma and taste.

Sometimes this swirling is referred to as Orbital Shaking, and this process has been adopted into medical fields of research such as biopharmaceuticals.

Swishing wine around your mouth is part of the initial tasting process, you are not expected to swish every sip you take whilst drinking wine at home.

Take a decent gulp of the wine and roll it around your tongue for around fifteen to thirty seconds before spitting it out. See how the wine changes its characteristics from the initial sip to when you are circulating it around your mouth.

Keep in mind that there are four basic components to wine, sweetness, acidity, alcohol, and tannin. Repeat the process but this time swallow the wine, and compare the aftertaste that lingers behind.

Like any wine, what people prefer is totally relevant. And a great red wine depends purely on your palette. But to look for hints at what you should look for in a good red wine we have put together some tips of some of the more popular reds.

Pinot Noir - is a great wine to understand acidity. When you taste a good Pinot Noir there should be a puckering sensation in your mouth, almost like drinking a carbonated drink. This is the acid at work, but there should also be a great balance between the fruit flavours and the tannins.

Shiraz / Syrah - this wine should be full of dark fruit flavours, such as plums and figs as well as chocolate overtones. In the case of Syrah you should also be able to taste faint tobacco hints which embellish the velvety flavour. A good Shiraz is a fine example of a full-bodied wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon - if you want a classic example of a wine with high tannins then try a Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a rich and spicy flavour and is the perfect wine to accompany red meat dishes. If you like Cabernet Sauvignon then also try Rioja, Chianti, and Merlot.

Zinfandel - if you like a heavy hitting wine with plenty of alcohol then Zinfandel should fit the bill perfectly. And these high levels of alcohol make the wine taste very intense and full.

Alcohol comes from the fermentation of sugar and that is why some of these wines taste slightly sweet.

There are numerous factors that can affect the price of a wine and it is not just the cost of production.The raw materials are some of the cost, by using aged barrels, more expensive grapes and chic bottles this also will add cost.

Where the wine is made is one of the biggest factors, as wine producing is still a highly labour intensive industry, if the country of origin is a developed country then labour costs will be higher than those of the third world.

Expensive wines tend to be pricey for two reasons. Expensive wines are normally made from low-yield grapes so the raw materials are high. But secondly and more importantly, expensive wines are so because they can be. What is meant by this is that if a consumer is prepared to pay an inflated price for a perceived good wine then that is the price the commodity is pitched at.

Some vineyards have boutique reputations and just the name can command a higher price. These are perceived as luxury items and therefore can charge what they like.

The dimple is at the bottom of the bottle and is actually called a punt. Traditionally these punts were a feature from the manufacture by the glassblowers. It was a method of keeping the seam pushed upwards so that the bottle could sit up by itself.

Modern bottles are made by machines, and the punt is used as a traditional feature of a wine bottle. There are certain theories why the punt exists including to gather sediment at the bottom of the bottle, and to make the bottle easier to pour.

The truth is that punts serve no useful purpose, except in the case of sparkling wine when they give the glass more strength to withstand the pressure of the gas.

The simple answer is that some wines taste sweet, and some do not. This is the beauty of wine, that there are many variations of sweetness, acidity, alcohol, fruitiness and so forth.

Some wines, red and white are designed to be sweet, especially dessert wines so that they can accompany sweets and desserts. Tasting a wine such as this will initially be sugary until the alcohol steps in, then this brings out the natural sour and bitter flavours.

Firstly the wine should be poured into the correct glass, you will be amazed that the wine tastes so much better in a glass that is intended to be for wine. Just like a brandy balloon is designed to swirl the drink in its fat bottom then has a fluted top to enjoy the aromas, wines glasses are fit for purpose.

Never pour the wine right up to the rim of the glass, this does not allow you to swirl the wine and release the flavours and aromas. Never mind that you will probably spill the wine all over yourself.

A standard bottle of wine is twenty-five ounces and that perfectly divides into five measures of five ounces, although some restaurants and bars will serve larger measures.

Part of the overall tasting experience of drinking wine is sniffing the aroma. Apart from the sheer enjoyment of breathing in the lovely aroma by smelling the wine it heightens your taste buds of what to expect.

In a restaurant it is easy to know if a wine is corked or not by simply smelling it. You need not have to taste the wine to understand that it is undrinkable. So it is highly important that your taste of smell is brought into play in your wine enjoyment.

Most older wines command a higher price as it is expensive to store and keep wine correctly. Also certain vintages have been kept in storage as they will improve in the bottle as they age. These wines are normally of high quality and are more expensive to buy than other wines as they have cost more to produce.

An older wine does not guarantee quality just because it is old, this is especially the case with white wines. Do not pay more just because it is a few years old, some wines such as beaujolais are made to drink straight away.

Traditionally cork was the only way that wine makers could seal their bottles with. It proved an excellent way of stopping air either coming into the wine or indeed leaving the bottle.

Today there is a lot of snobbery as wine markers have embraced technology and have looked at other ways to seal their bottles. Part of the reason for doing so was that natural cork is not cheap, but secondly there have been cases of diseases in cork that have spoiled expensive wines, and this is when the expression the wine is corked is used. The snobbery part comes in when traditional winemakers have turned their noses up at using screw-caps.

A new way of sealing bottles is the screw-cap which is both cheaper than corks and are easier to open. You do not need a corkscrew, just twist and pour. Having a screw-cap does not mean that the wine is inferior in any shape of form, but it is true the big luxury wineries have stayed loyal to corks.

For corks to be effective then the bottles have to be stored on their side, as the cork must remain wet with the wine so they do not dry out and shrink. But using screw caps eliminates all this and the bottles can be stored upright. This is perfect for bars and restaurants who want to display their wines.

A punt is the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle, and the size of the punt generally depends on the type of wine and the bottle. Some people believe that the punt is there to gather any sediment and the bigger the punt equates to more fruit, but this is simply not the case.

The punt is a way of strengthening the bottle and has nothing to do with sediment, this is purely a misconception. Therefore the size of the punt counts for nothing.

The reason why certain wines have to be served at certain temperatures is because the temperature can dramatically impact the wine, in the way it tastes and smells.

By serving a wine at the correct temperature (60 to 70 degrees) means that you will have the most pleasurable wine drinking experience.

There is a misconception that all red wine should be served at room temperature, but serving it slightly chilled is the correct way to drink it. It is easy to cool down the wine by placing it in the fridge for an hour or so, after opening it should be decanted to let it breathe and to warm slightly, then poured into glasses.

Smells released from wines are called aromas, and these aromas are more diverse than its flavours. The tongue is only limited to fairly limited primary tastes, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and spice.

But the wide array of other flavours in wine such as fruit, earthy, leathery, floral, herbal, mineral, and woodsy come from the aroma of the wine that is detected by the olfactory bulb.

The term bouquet is also widely used with wine, and this generally refers to the smells that arise from chemical reactions of the fermentation of the wine as it changes in age. It also can be used to describe how the wine smells with exposure to oak barrels.

There is an old adage that the older a wine gets the better it is, but this is only true in a couple of instances. All wines are perishable at some stages of their life, it can deteriorate with different chemical reactions in the bottle.

In the short term as some wines age the sugars, acids, tannins mellow and the colour and aroma of the wine changes. But not all wines are capable of this.

The ability to age a wine is influenced by many factors and the main one is the amount of alcohol in the wine. Also the grape variety, vintage, viticultural practices, the wine region, and how the wine is made.

Also how the wine is kept will affect its life and how quickly it will deteriorate. The quality of an aged wine will differ in every bottle, and this can depend on the condition of both the bottle and cork.

It is estimated that 90% of all the wine in the world is made to be consumed within one year, and that 99% should be drunk within five years.