California Wine Magazine

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California and the New World are known for fruit forward wines, meaning fruit dominates the wine impression, with fairly significant alcohol levels. The Old World wines should still have good fruit, but tend to demonstrate more minerality, or even a dusty earth quality, with a lower overall alcohol level. These lines continue to blur as the Old and New World winemakers exchange ideas and techniques, and you can find many New World winemakers who make an Old World style wine, but there are still basic differences based on facilities, terroir and regulation.
Now as you think about this wine in totality; think about the whole experience of the wine; its appearance, its taste and scent profiles, the balance, the complexity, and lastly, the finish. Think about how it compares to other wines in its varietal and style. At first this will take some time to complete, but with practice it will only take a few minutes. This is just for you and will work best if you use scales and markers that you will be able to remember. Make it fun, not a chore, and you will do it almost without thinking every time you try a new wine. Good luck, and maybe we’ll see you out there.

Most Commonly Used Scent Descriptors

Red Wine Fruit: Red Cherry Black Cherry Blueberry Blackberry Strawberry Raspberry Red Currant Black Currant Elderberry Cassis Fig Raisin Prune Plum Dates Artificial Tuti Fruity	White Wine Fruit: Citric Lemon Orange Lime Pear Apricot Green Apple Golden Apple Mango Papaya Pineapple Melon, Peach Banana Grapefruit	Spice/Floral: Cinnamon Cloves Vanilla Mint Allspice Black Pepper Black Pepper Nutmeg Eucalyptus Licorice Anis Violet Rose Orange Blossom Jasmine Orange Peel Lemon Peel	Non-Fruit: Tea Coffee Chocolate Butter Yeasty Nutty Soy Sauce Leather Animal Musk Tar Plastic Diesel Meaty Sausage Smoked Ham Rubber Boot
Oak: Honey Molasses, Butterscotch Pine Cedar Cigar Smoky Toast Burnt Match	Vegetable: Green Pepper Green Bean Olive Asparagus Artichoke Sauerkraut Cabbage	Earthy: Straw Mineral Wet Stone Mushroom Horsey Sweaty Cut Grass Green Grass	Faults: Moldy Onion Vinegar, Rubber Fishy Wet Dog Baked Rotten Eggs Geranium Acetic Acid Barnyard Garlic