Words like ‘zippy’, ‘linear’, or ‘silky’ are amongst many that get thrown around a lot in tasting rooms - but what do they actually mean? Why do certain wines feel fresh or vibrant, while others feel heavy or flat? Gus Zhu’s idea of sensorial terroir helps decode these sensations. It suggests that what we perceive in a wine - the flavours, structure, texture - isn’t random. It’s the result of measurable, chemical building blocks shaped by terroir, technique, and grape variety.

These building blocks include thiols (which bring tropical, green aromatics), pyrazines (responsible for herbal notes), esters (fruity smells), acids (which deliver freshness and tension), and phenolics (responsible for texture and grip). The precise combination of these, along with alcohol and sugar levels, creates a wine’s signature.

Take Sauvignon Blanc, for example. The ‘fruit explosion’ often associated with Marlborough comes from volatile thiols - especially 3MH (3-mercaptohexan-1-ol) and 3MHA (3-mercaptohexyl acetate) - which deliver intense notes of grapefruit, passionfruit, and guava. Methoxypyrazines, like IBMP, add that classic grassy, green pepper, blackcurrant leaf and gooseberry aroma. These compounds are formed in the vineyard and released during cool fermentation. Canopy management, early picking, and reductive winemaking are conscious strategies NZ winemakers use to elevate these characteristics.

Gus explains: “Describing a wine as having 'purity' or 'vibrancy' isn’t just poetic - it often points to real, measurable characteristics like acidity, phenolic clarity (that clean, defined structure you feel on the palate, often linked to how smooth or precise a wine feels in the mouth), and aromatic compounds that are typical of the region and variety”.

It also explains why two wines made from the same grape can taste entirely different. Place matters. So do decisions in the vineyard and winery. New Zealand’s cool climate, long ripening period, and thoughtful winemaking amplify clarity, intensity, and what many people describe - often without knowing why - as "energy”.

You don’t need to memorise chemical names to understand Zhu’s point. The idea is to taste with intention. As Susie and Peter put it on the Wine Blast, wine becomes even more fascinating when you approach it with both feeling and a little bit of fact.

Here are a few ways to taste like a chemist (without killing the magic):

· Notice the nose: Are the aromas sharp, soft, green, fruity, savoury? Do they evolve in the glass?

· Focus on texture: Is it crisp, creamy, chalky, oily? This is where phenolics live.

· Watch the finish: Does it fade fast or echo? Acid, sugar, and tannins all play a role.

Gus Zhu’s takeaway is that the science isn’t a killjoy - it’s a decoder. It can make your tasting experiences more confident, (you know what you like and why you like it), especially when translating what you like into what you buy.

For us at Kiwi Cru, that’s the gold. The best examples wear their origins on their sleeves - bright, aromatic, expressive, and often full of natural freshness - qualities we love not just because of where they’re from, but how they feel.

So we choose wines and winemakers with these qualities in mind. The next time you’re browsing our range, or scanning a wine list, ask yourself: what am I in the mood to feel? Sharp and focused? Textural and generous? Fresh and zesty? The language of wine might start in chemistry, but it ends in connection.

And if you’re curious about what happens when that glass meets a plate - why a Sauvignon Blanc sings with fish and chips, or a Pinot Noir lifts a spaghetti Bolognese - you’ll want to read Part 2 of this series. In our sequel blog, we head off into the chemistry of food and wine pairing, inspired once again by Gus Zhu’s sensory insights. Coming soon….