Aroma Wheel

The Aroma Wheel is a common tool to assist in distinguishing and describing the various aromas and flavors of the wine. The Aroma Wheel was developed at the University of California, Davis in 1984 as a standard tool used to describe wine in uniform, non-judgmental terms.

The inner-circular sections describe the broader aroma categories while the outer edges describe individual, more precise aromas, grouped by category. These aromas can be detected by smell or taste but are not always present in both forms. To use the wheel, begin in the center when smelling the wine, working your way out as you try to identify individual aromas.

Download a PDF version of the Aroma Wheel