Wine: It’s all in the smell. Source: News Corp Australia

It may sound easy but it’s surprising how many people don’t use this all important, and totally free, litmus test when choosing to fork out for even a cheap bottle of wine.

“For $20, you can buy crappy wine or the smart stuff,” says wine writer Gary Walsh.

So why not train yourself to know how to tell whether that drop is going to go down smoothly or just give you a headache?

The good news is the more you smell something, the better you get at it. It’s like lifting weights at the gym or cooking risotto without it going gooey. You’ll look like a bit of a dork at first but it’s well worth the effort.

“The key when smelling wine is to look for flavours you enjoy,” Mr Walsh says. “Smell is a highly pleasurable thing. It’s why women wear perfume and men wear too much Lynx. It can take you back to a time or place or your childhood because it’s a key memory trigger.”

Look for smells you like or don’t like such as licorice, pepper, capsicum, grass or vanilla and try to identify them. Once you’ve done that, you’ll start to notice these smells again and again and you can choose your favourite wine based on them.

Smell can also tell you if the wine is off or corked. You don’t want wine that smells like garlic or alcoholic water. It should be a complex smell that you enjoy.

Don’t feel bad if you don’t get it straight away. “Some people never get the hang of certain smells and flavours,” Mr Walsh says, “and women are usually better at it than men because their sense of smell is often better.”

That’s a fitting upper hand to have since Australia’s increased consumption of wine is being driven by women in the 18 to 39 market, according to latest research by IBISWorld Liquor Retailing in Australia.

“Women increasingly see wine as something that is fun and more sophisticated than other drinks and they are taking back control of the wine list at restaurants,” Mr Walsh says. “It’s also evident in the rise in female sommeliers.”

Winemakers and retailers have noticed the trend. Clever marketing aimed at younger women, more stylish, designer bottle labels and social sharing apps have brought a fashionable element to the drink traditionally the domain of 60-year-old men in suits eating cheddar.

Apps, such as the Aussie creation Wineosphere, are also making it easier for a broader market to access good wines. The app allows users to search for wines, read independent reviews and even see what wines match best with food choices or restaurant types.

But perhaps, most important is the social factor.

Wineosphere allows the share-ability of wine experiences so users can snap a label or barcode and show their friends what they are drinking and their thoughts on the wine. Or they can follow events or interesting people in their area to see what they are drinking and where they go.

These apps then become personal journals of wines, detailing what users like, their favourite restaurants and more.

“Appreciation of something leads to more pleasure and more interest,” Mr Walsh says. “So if we can help people enjoy wine more rather than just swilling it down then that is a really good thing.”

So how do you smell wine without looking like a tosser? Watch the video here.

The menu won’t help, but the smell will. Source: iStock Source: Supplied

How to smell wine in 3 easy steps:

-Swirl the wine around the glass a little bit. Pinch the stem of the glass, or lightly hold it in between your fingers. This aerates the wine, allowing oxygen to release more flavour compounds.

-Bring your glass up to your nose as. Take a big breath, and try keeping your mouth open to heighten your sense of smell. Have a think, let the smell of the wine take you on a journey. With a bit of practice you’ll start to recognise those scents as displaying certain characteristics of the wine whether it be stone fruits ... or an old pair of gym socks.

-When you finally take a sip, try to connect what you smelt to what you taste. Most importantly, enjoy your new-found ability to smell wine like a snob.

To learn more about different wines, how they smell and what you should be looking for, download the Wineosphere app here now.