After 5 years of amateur winemaking, I've gotten to the point where my
wines are virtually all "passable", with an occasional batch turning
out great. But the one quality that I have trouble with is the wine's
aroma or bouquet. Many of my wines just don't smell like much of
anything. Is this just a function of the grapes that I get? Is there
anything that can be done during the whole winemaking process to
enhance (or at least not lose) a wine's aroma?

By the way, most of the grapes that I get here in Maryland are either
sold by a wholesaler in September or October and come from California,
or are shipped frozen from Brehm.

Thanks,

Lee

Lee wrote:

> After 5 years of amateur winemaking, I've gotten to the point where my
> wines are virtually all "passable", with an occasional batch turning
> out great. But the one quality that I have trouble with is the wine's
> aroma or bouquet. Many of my wines just don't smell like much of
> anything. Is this just a function of the grapes that I get? Is there
> anything that can be done during the whole winemaking process to
> enhance (or at least not lose) a wine's aroma?
>
> By the way, most of the grapes that I get here in Maryland are either
> sold by a wholesaler in September or October and come from California,
> or are shipped frozen from Brehm.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Lee

Lee, Bouquet usually comes about through aging in bottle. How long are you
aging your wine? Are you aging in a Barrel? Barrel aging usually helps in
the aroma. I have found that blends usually have the best bouquet. I
especially like a Cabernet Franc - Merlot blend.

I also live in Maryland - about 15 miles West of Frederick. I can point you
to some sources for grapes near where I live if you are interested.

Lee - What are the grapes? Hard to comment if I don't know what you are
making. There are enzymes that will hasten the release of aroma compounds.
Read up on AR2000. Check it out on www.dsm-oenology.com/en/html/index.html
and talk to the company about it's use. They are very helpful. But beware,
use of these type enzymes will change a wine's characteristics pretty quick
so you have to prepared to stop the enzyme action when you have achieved the
aroma enhancement you want.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansa USA

"Lee" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> After 5 years of amateur winemaking, I've gotten to the point where my
> wines are virtually all "passable", with an occasional batch turning
> out great. But the one quality that I have trouble with is the wine's
> aroma or bouquet. Many of my wines just don't smell like much of
> anything. Is this just a function of the grapes that I get? Is there
> anything that can be done during the whole winemaking process to
> enhance (or at least not lose) a wine's aroma?
>
> By the way, most of the grapes that I get here in Maryland are either
> sold by a wholesaler in September or October and come from California,
> or are shipped frozen from Brehm.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Lee
>

On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 17:25:31 -0400, "Paul E. Lehmann"
> wrote:

>Lee wrote:
>
>> After 5 years of amateur winemaking, I've gotten to the point where my
>> wines are virtually all "passable", with an occasional batch turning
>> out great. But the one quality that I have trouble with is the wine's
>> aroma or bouquet. Many of my wines just don't smell like much of
>> anything. Is this just a function of the grapes that I get? Is there
>> anything that can be done during the whole winemaking process to
>> enhance (or at least not lose) a wine's aroma?
>>
>> By the way, most of the grapes that I get here in Maryland are either
>> sold by a wholesaler in September or October and come from California,
>> or are shipped frozen from Brehm.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Lee
>
>Lee, Bouquet usually comes about through aging in bottle. How long are you
>aging your wine? Are you aging in a Barrel? Barrel aging usually helps in
>the aroma. I have found that blends usually have the best bouquet. I
>especially like a Cabernet Franc - Merlot blend.
>
>I also live in Maryland - about 15 miles West of Frederick. I can point you
>to some sources for grapes near where I live if you are interested.


I just started making some wine at home, and would be interested in
juice/grape sources. I live in Frederick, and would appreciate any
help you can give.

Thanks
Jim

It's surprising what you said about bouquet coming from bottle aging.
I have no reason to disagree, and I'll look for that. Generally, I'm
drinking my wines within 6-8 months of bottling the reds and even
sooner with the whites.

In Maryland, I've gotten some grapes via a guy with the last name of
Hamilton, who lives in Mt. Airy. His grapes were hit or miss, with the
chamboucin awful, but the chardonnay pretty good. If you know of other
sources, I'd be grateful.

Lee

My lack of aroma seems to be non-grape specific. I just wonder how it
is that when you stick your nose into a glass of reasonably priced
commercial wine, you can usually smell "something". On mine, it's far
more subtle, which is a polite way of saying that it doesn't smell like
much of anything.

Lee

Lee wrote:

> It's surprising what you said about bouquet coming from bottle aging.
> I have no reason to disagree, and I'll look for that. Generally, I'm
> drinking my wines within 6-8 months of bottling the reds and even
> sooner with the whites.
>
> In Maryland, I've gotten some grapes via a guy with the last name of
> Hamilton, who lives in Mt. Airy. His grapes were hit or miss, with the
> chamboucin awful, but the chardonnay pretty good. If you know of other
> sources, I'd be grateful.
>
> Lee

Here is a list of places. My name should have been deleted from Windham
Winery in Northern Virginia. I no longer work there. Hope this helps. I
get some grapes from Dick Penn every year (Washington County). His grapes
are very good.

http://www.marylandwine.com/mgga/vin.../for_sale.html

Lee wrote:
> It's surprising what you said about bouquet coming from bottle aging.
> I have no reason to disagree, and I'll look for that. Generally, I'm
> drinking my wines within 6-8 months of bottling the reds and even
> sooner with the whites.
>
>
> Lee

That's a technical distinction between aroma - fruity smells that
develop through fermentation and bulk aging - and bouquet - smells that
are results of longer aging in bottle (eg., petrol in Riesling, leather
in Syrah, etc.). I think the original issue was about a general
lack/low level of smell (aroma or bouquet)...? If yes, I've also
noticed this in comparison to good commercial wines. So far my limited
observations suggest that wines from juice or concentrate are more
lacking in this respect than wines mades from grapers (or fruit) -
which does make sense as skins contain aromatic compounds.

Other than that, better quality grapes/juice will typically mean better
wine quality, including aroma/bouquet.

Pp

Lee wrote:
> After 5 years of amateur winemaking, I've gotten to the point where my
> wines are virtually all "passable", with an occasional batch turning
> out great. But the one quality that I have trouble with is the wine's
> aroma or bouquet. Many of my wines just don't smell like much of
> anything. Is this just a function of the grapes that I get? Is there
> anything that can be done during the whole winemaking process to
> enhance (or at least not lose) a wine's aroma?
>
> By the way, most of the grapes that I get here in Maryland are either
> sold by a wholesaler in September or October and come from California,
> or are shipped frozen from Brehm.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Lee
>

With white wines and to a lesser degree red wines, the fermentation
temperature plays a role in the "nose" of a wine. Whites are often
fermented down at 40 F to retain the fruit characteristics. Note this
temperature by itself is often too low for yeast to work well, but the
temperature is increased once the yeast kicks off (exothermic) and
starts growing, so ambient can be at 40 F and the wine itself a bit
higher (most yeasts don't tolerate less than 45F and continue to ferment
well).

Also, whites are fermented with clarified juice and are not allowed to
have a cap that is punched down daily, further restricting the oxidation
of fruit flavors.

Read the different types of yeast descriptions, some of them are
recommended over others if one is trying to develop aroma, nose, boquet,
etc.

food for thought

I learned a lot as a kid from a winemaker on the other side of the
Stonehenge of Latour, at a 5th growth label, but still in the classic
of the French winemaking.

We made many potions of flower arrangements that we immerged, and then
later doled out in various bathes, to get that special lilac bouquet.
But in the end I too believe that the base of the great bouquet noticed
came from the grapes we used.

SG Brix

> wrote in message
ups.com...
>I learned a lot as a kid from a winemaker on the other side of the
> Stonehenge of Latour, at a 5th growth label, but still in the classic
> of the French winemaking.
>
> We made many potions of flower arrangements that we immerged, and then
> later doled out in various bathes, to get that special lilac bouquet.
> But in the end I too believe that the base of the great bouquet noticed
> came from the grapes we used.

Are you saying that it is common practice in Bordeaux to augment the natural
grape flavors and aromas with flower extracts? I'd suspected as much for
quite awhile, but never seen anyone admit to it in print.

Not that there's anything wrong about it. If it improves the wine, who
cares?

Tom S