Common questions about wine service and etiquette — the right temperature for red and white, how long the wine needs to “breathe,” what exactly is a corked bottle, why we use descriptors like flowers, fruit and bizarre words such as “tar” and “forest floor” to talk about wine — are all typical concerns for guys who love wine. That’s because when it comes to appreciating wine, there is as much myth as there is truth. Here’s a little cheat sheet to help you become an expert on the mysteries of wine.

What’s the deal with “aromas” in wine?

Just because descriptors of fruits, flowers, spices, and vegetables are often used to differentiate wines does not mean that these actual products or their artificial flavor were ever added to the wine. Type of grape, combined with soil type and winemaking technique, are what create specific aromas in wine. Descriptors are simply a way to characterize a wine’s overall aromatic style, the same way you might associate a hot brunette’s spicy perfume with her eccentric personality. With time and practice you will soon be able to identify aromas and thus crack wine “lingo.” What may have once seemed like a fabrication of wine tasting, like detecting notes of dried leaves and rose petals, will soon become second nature.