When you stop swirling, and the tears are falling, it's time to take the next step: smelling. Agitating the wine vaporizes it, and the thin sheet of liquid on the sides of the glass evaporates rapidly; the result is an intensification of the aromas. If the glass narrows at the top, the aromas are further concentrated. Stick your nose right into the bowl and inhale.

There's no consensus about the proper sniffing technique. Some advocate two or three quick inhalations; others prefer one deep, sharp sniff. I've seen tasters close one nostril, sniff, then close the other and sniff again. The goal is to draw the aromas deep into the nose, to bring them into contact with the olfactory mucosa and thence to the olfactory bulb, where the sensations are registered and deciphered. It's a remote and protected place, and a head cold or allergies will effectively block it off from even the strongest aromas. But with practice, and keen attention, you'll learn how to maximize your perception of aromas, and then how to decipher them.

The world of smell is vast and bewildering. 

First of all, our olfactory equipment is incredibly sensitive; we can distinguish aromas in quantities so small that laboratory equipment can scarcely measure them. 

Second, our analytic capacity is extraordinary; estimates of the number of different smells humans can identify range up to 10,000! 

Finally, wine has a staggering number of smellable elements. In their exhaustive study Wines: Their Sensory Evaluation, Maynard Amerine and Edward Roessler, both professors at the University of California, write that "Identified in wine aromas are at least 181 esters, 52 alcohols, 75 aldehydes and ketones, 22 acetals, 18 lactones, six secondary acetamides, 29 nitrogen-containing compounds, 18 sulfur-containing compounds, two ethers, 11 furans and 18 epoxides, as well as 30 miscellaneous compounds. Many of these are modified in various ways by aging and cellar treatment, and they can and do react with each other or have additive, masking or synergistic properties."

Serious wine tasters love to identify smells. "Chocolate!" cries one. "Burnt matches!" insists another. "Tea, tobacco, mushrooms and a bit of the old barnyard," intones a third. Are they just playing word games?

No. In fact, wine does smell of more than grapes. Analysis of its volatile components has identified the same molecules that give many familiar objects their distinctive scents. Here are just a few: rose, iris, cherry, peach, honey and vanilla. Who's to say that some of the more imaginative descriptors--from road tar to cat's pee, sweaty socks to smoked bacon--aren't grounded in some basic chemical affinity?

As with colour, wine's aromas offer insights into character, origin and history. Because our actual sense of taste is limited to four simple categories (the well-known sweet, sour, bitter and salt), aroma is the most revealing aspect of our examination. 

But don't simply sniff for clues. Revel in the sensation. Scientists say smells have direct access to the brain, connecting immediately to memory and emotion. Like a lover's perfume, or the scent of cookies from childhood, wine's aromas can evoke a specific place and time with uncanny power..

Now comes the best part. You can be mesmerized by wine's flashing colors and hypnotized into dreamy reverie by its evocative aromas, but actually drinking the wine is what loosens the tongue, opens the arms and consummates the liquid's true purpose.

You might think it's the easiest part, too. After all, you learned to drink from a cup when you were 2 years old and have been practicing diligently ever since. But there's a huge distinction between swallowing and tasting, the same gulf that yawns between simply hearing and truly listening. Once again, correct technique is essential to full appreciation.

With the aromas still reverberating through your senses, put the glass to your lips and take some liquid in. How much? That depends on the size of your mouth. But too little is as ineffective as too much. You need to have enough volume to work it all around your tasting apparatus, but not so much that you're forced to swallow right away.

Because you don't want to swallow, not just yet. It takes time and effort to force the wine to divulge its secrets. The aim is to keep a pleasant wine in your mouth for 10 to 15 seconds, sometimes more.

Roll the wine all around your mouth, bringing it into contact with every part, because each decodes a different aspect of the liquid. Wine provokes sensations, too: The astringency of tannins is most perceptible on the inner cheeks; the heat of the alcohol burns in the back of the throat.

The strength of these taste sensations can be amplified through specialized techniques that, frankly, are more appropriate to the tasting lab than the dining room. But if the wine is seductive enough, you may not be able to resist. 

First, as you hold the wine in your mouth, purse your lips and inhale gently through them. This creates a bubbling noise children find immensely amusing. It also accelerates vaporization, intensifying the aromas. 

Second, chew the wine vigorously, sloshing it around in your mouth, to draw every last nuance of flavour from the wine.

Don't forget the finish. After you swallow, exhale gently and slowly through both your nose and mouth. The retronasal passage, which connects the throat and the nose, is another avenue for aromas, which can linger long after the wine is finally swallowed. 

You'll find that the better the wine, the more complex, profound and long-lasting these residual aromas can be. 

With great wines, sensitive tasters and minimal distractions, the finish can last a minute or more. 

It's a moment of meditation and communion that no other beverage can create..

[Adapted from an article by Thomas Matthews in The Wine Spectator www.winespectator.com. ]

Acidity
The quality of tartness or sharpness in the taste of wine due to the presence of natural acids. Not to be confused with sourness, dryness, or astringency.

Balance
A balanced wine is one whose components -- sugar, fruit, tannin, acid, alcohol, wood and so forth -- are evident, but do not mask or dominate one another.

Bouquet
The various fragrances noted by smell, created by the development of wine from the fermentation and aging process, whether in barrel or bottle.

Complexity
The various elements that make up bouquet, aroma and taste in a wine. When a wine is described as having the aroma of fresh peaches or apples, it is displaying some of its complexities.

Corked
Describes an unpleasant musty odour (mushrooms) or flavour imparted to wine by a defective (mouldy, poor, soft, or disintegrating) cork or by chemicals used in the processing of corks.

Cryomaceration
A wine making procedure used in making white wines that holds the skins and the crushed grapes at extremely low temperature prior to fermentation, enhancing the fruit and other flavours.

Dry
A wine with little or no noticeable sugar, usually containing less than 0.2 percent sugar. On champagne and sparkling wines, dry often refers to faintly sweet -- not as dry as brut.

Finish
The tactile and flavour impressions left in the mouth while a beverage is being swallowed. Some beverages finish harsh, hot, and astringent, while others are smooth, soft and elegant.

Full-Bodied
A term relating to the body or mouth-filling capacity of a wine. Additionally, it applies to wines that are robust, intensely flavoured, and comparatively high in sugar, or alcohol content.

Generic Wine
"Place-name" - wines that are named after European wine-producing districts such as Burgundy, Chablis, Champagne, Port, Rhine, Sauternes, Sherry and so forth.

Maturity
The stage in the aging of wines when they have developed all of their characteristic qualities to full perfection.

Oaky
The odour and/or flavour of wines aged in small oak barrels. Some oak barrels impart a toasty or spicy vanillin odour and taste which is desirable in moderation but undesirable if exaggerated.

Proprietary Wine
Wines carrying a made-up name originated by a specific winery or proprietor.

Tannin
A bitter compound found in the seeds, stems, and skins of grapes, and is extracted from wooden barrels. It is quite astringent and causes a puckering sensation in the front of the mouth.

Varietal Wine
The name of the dominant grape used in a wine -- Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese. Varietal wines require that at least 75 percent of that grape variety is used.

Vintage
The year that the grapes were picked or harvested for the making of wine, with the date shown on the label.

[A growing collection of terms that will be added to over time from various sources.]