Volatile" refers to the tendency of a substance to change into a gaseous state. All aromatic substances in wine are volatile aromatic substances, because otherwise it would not be possible to perceive them olfactorily through the nose. However, the distinction from taste sensations (bitter, salty, sweet, sour and umami) is fluid, because the olfactory perception of smell and the gustatory perception of taste are extremely complex with mutual influence, so that the origin tongue/palate or nose can no longer be precisely traced.
![]()
For my many years of work as an editor with a wine and culinary focus, I always like to inform myself about special questions at Wine lexicon. Spontaneous reading and following links often leads to exciting discoveries in the wide world of wine.
Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien