Q: Is there a right way or wrong way to smell wine?
Jessica P.
Jackson, MS

A: The first rule to remember: It's only wine, not rocket science. Just relax and have fun. However, as dramatic as it may seem, there is merit in carefully swirling the wine and sticking your nose right in the glass.

The wine coating the inside of the glass evaporates, releasing its aroma (the actual smell of the wine) and bouquet (the smells created by the winemaker during fermentation and aging). Some folks prefer to take a long, gentle sniff, while others prefer the short, quick method. Do whatever works best for you.

The key is to connect the smells in the glass with those in your memory. And if your mental database is a little light like mine was when I first began enjoying wine, then make an effort to smell everything you can, within reason, both indoors and out. Think cut grass, fruits, vegetables, wet dogs, spices, flowers, burnt toast, leather, and menthol, for example. You might feel silly at first, but you're only increasing your ability to have fun with the experience.

A general note about aroma and bouquet: Aroma is often associated with the smells of fruits--for instance, apples, pears, pineapple in white wine, and berries, cherry, plums in reds. Oak-barrel aging will influence the bouquet with smells of vanilla and coconut. Also, malolactic fermentation, a process used to soften highly acidic wines, produces a buttery or creamy quality in the bouquet.