When describing wine, it is common to use tasting notes that evoke a wide range of fruits, including strawberries, cherries, citrus, orchard fruits, and berries, rather than grapes. These fruit profiles are often used as a marketing tool, such as the "strawberries and cream" description for Provence rosé.
The presence of these fruit notes is due to aromatic compounds found in wine. Esters, produced by yeasts during fermentation, can contribute notes of banana, pear, and pineapple. Compounds originating in the grapes themselves, such as thiols, norisoprenoids, and terpenes, can provide tropical fruit, dried fruit, honeyed, citrus, and floral aromas.
Examples of wines showcasing these diverse fruit aromas include the 2024 Pipeño Blanco, a skin-contact white from Chile, which offers apricot, peach, and citrus peel notes. The 2024 W/O Organic Nero d’Avola Rosato from Sicily is noted for its summer berry characteristics, while a Georgian saperavi, like the M&S Found Saperavi, presents damson and dark cherry aromas.