The aroma of fruit comes from alcohol-type aromatic compounds, and wine fermentation actually produces the same aromatic chemicals that you find in fresh fruits, so it is not just your imagination that makes you think of certain fruit when you are tasting wine.

You can pick out an extensive range of different fruit in Languedoc wines. Red grapes grown in sunny climes such as these are frequently evocative of blackcurrants and blackberries, and this is particularly the case for the Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes. In certain regions such as St-Christol, not fresh fruit but jam or stewed fruits are called to mind. Meanwhile the Marsanne grape evokes white fruits such as apples and pears, and some of the fragrant rosé wines recall raspberries and strawberries.

Many white wines have aromas of white fragrant flowers, such as acacia and honeysuckle (frequently found in Chardonnay), lime flower and jasmine, often mixed with honey, occasionally rose or pot pourri. Red wines occasionally have floral notes, such as violet, which is commonly detected in wines containing the Syrah grape.

Spices are another important element in the olfactory experience of wine. The red Languedoc wines, such as those from the Pic St-Loup region, often have notes of garrigue spices such as juniper, thyme and rosemary. It is not known exactly how these scents find their way into the wine, but there is a hypothesis that the volatile chemicals released by these plants may be deposited on the grape skins. Other spices that can be commonly detected in Languedoc reds are bayleaf, black pepper and liquorice.

One of the popular white grape varieties of this region, Rolle, is frequently associated with mint, aniseed and fennel aromas as well as thyme. The presence of notes of cinnamon, cloves and vanilla is usually a tertiary aroma, indicating a wine that has spent time maturing in wood.

Animal aromas can be found in red wines, particularly those using the Mourvèdre and Grenache grape varieties. When slight these aromas can be pleasant and reminiscent of leather, the farmyard, musk and meat, but when excessive the wine can smell of wet dog or even dung. As we note above, decanting may diminish some of these heavier aromas.