Wine has an incredibly complex chemistry and we are still discovering new things about its composition and evolution over time. Each varietal is made up of an array of compounds which allow us to identify them in a blind tasting. Add the infuence of winemaking into the mix and the various processes, yeasts and oak treatments add greater complexity to each wine.

Many consumers hear writers, sommeliers and cellar door staff use weird and wonderful expressions to describe aromas, flavours and mouthfeel attributes of wine. These can be mystifying to say the least and range from making sense to sounding rather absurd. Have you ever heard a wine being described with words such as 'forest floor', 'sweaty saddle', 'kerosene', 'wet rocks', and even 'cat pee'??? The thing is, much of the time we are simply trying to find the best way to express a vast range of characteristics which can be deemed good, bad or neutral.

Some phrases lead you to wonder what wine nerds get up to in their spare time, while others offer an "aha!" moment as you recognise that thing you just couldn't put your finger on while wine tasting.

The articles below hope to give you some aha moments in answering the times you've asked yourself, "what's this in my wine?".