Scents & Sips
A Wine and Fragrance Pairing
Which wine style (or grape) is the olfactory twin of a gourmand fragrance, all toasted vanilla and sugared fruit? Which perfume might capture the steely, citrus-spiked elegance of a taut Grüner Veltliner? There’s so much that connects wine and fragrance. Both are expressions of place, craft, memory and mood and are composed, layered and meant to be experienced rather than merely consumed. Most of all however, they both tell stories.
As a wine writer, I’ve always been drawn to scent; the way a sniff of Riesling can evoke lime blossom, wet stone and a waft of diesel, or how an old Rioja conjures images of cedar-lined libraries and leather chairs. We speak of notes, structure, evolution and finish and describe both in terms of aromatics, balance, intensity, texture. With both, we often reach for metaphors to describe the indescribable because really, how else do you bottle an experience?
This week saw me running a wine and fragrance pairing as part of the fantastic Cowes Fringe Festival and here’s what we tasted below. All wines were hand picked and generously offered by Waitrose and I used the beautifully curated fragrances of Bon Parfumeur, available at Jack Thompson in Cowes. I’ve matched iconic wine styles to their fragrant alter egos so whether you’re a wine lover looking to explore perfumery or a scent connoisseur curious about what a fragrance might taste like dressed up as a wine, these pairings offer a new way to experience both worlds.
Let me know your thoughts - or your own pairings!
PAIRING No. 1
Grüner Veltliner X Bon Parfumeur 201
Wine: Grüner Veltliner (green apple, spice, herbs, ginger)
Fragrance: Green + Citrus + Aromatic (green apple, Lily of the Valley, pear)
Mood: Spring mornings, dewy grass, a linen shirt, spontaneous games in a park. Reading poetry on a bench.
Why it works
Both the wine and the perfumes here are vivacious, elegant and crisp. The Grü V grape gives wine with a hit of white pepper, green apple, citrus, fresh herbs and a ginger or radish-like kick! The perfume shares the herbaceous, green apple note and has an energetic brightness that matches the wine's minerality and crisp acidity.
Shop the Pairing
Huber Heaven's Realm Grüner Veltliner, £15 Waitrose
Bon Parfumeur 201, £46 / 30ml Jack Thompson
PAIRING No. 2
Torrontes X Bon Parfumeur 003
Wine: Torrontes (Lemon floral, rose)
Fragrance: Floral + Fruity + Musky (yuzu, violet, vetiver)
Mood: Golden hour in a citrus orchard. A yellow, silk blouse fluttering in a warm breeze. Laughter that lingers, a spring flirtation, an afternoon in the garden.
Why it works
Both open with intense, floral and lemon citrus aromatics. The perfume hits with bright yuzu, fresh violet leaf and green vetiver, crisp and luminous. The Torrontes grape offers similarly powerful floral notes of jasmine, orange blossom and rose. On the palate it’s searingly citrusy like yuzu, with a clean, mineral finish, mirroring the elegant vetiver drydown of the fragrance.
Shop the Pairing
Norton Finca La Colonia Torrontés, £10 Waitrose
Bon Parfumeur 003, £46 / 30ml Jack Thompson
PAIRING No. 3
Moschofilero Rosé X Bon Parfumeur
Wine: Moschofilero Rosé (rose petal, spiced citrus, delicately romantic)
Fragrance: Powdery + Floral + Green (centifolia rose, sweet pea, white cedar)
Mood: A powder pink silk scarf. Faded love letters and soft light through linen curtains. A quiet Sunday with pistachio pastries. A conversation that drifts..
Why it works
Both the wine and the perfume are light, romantic and intricately floral. The wine, with its bouquet of rose petals, orange blossom and lifted acidity is mirrored perfectly in the scent’s soft bloom of rose and sweet pea, all dusted with white cedar for a clean, slightly musky finish.
Shop the Pairing
Waitrose Loved & Found Moschofilero Rosé, £11 Waitrose
Bon Parfumeur 101, £46 / 30ml Jack Thompson
PAIRING No. 4
Rioja Reserva X Bon Parfumeur 301
Wine: Rioja Reserva (vanilla, spice, leather, sensual)
Fragrance: Gourmand + Woody + Spicy (sandalwood, amber, cardamom)
Mood: An evening by the fire in Autumn, worn-in leather chairs, slow jazz, contemplation, a warm blanket and a good book.
Why it works
Rioja Reserva wines often have notes of vanilla, coconut, sweet tobacco and dried fig from extended aging in American oak and then bottle. It’s very sensual and comforting, like the fragrance with its dry spice, creamy sandalwood, warm amber and spicy cardamom.
Shop the Pairing
Beronia Rioja Reserva, £17 Waitrose
Bon Parfumeur 301, £46 / 30ml Jack Thompson
PAIRING No. 5
Cabernet Sauvignon X Bon Parfumeur 601
Wine: The Green Road Cabernet Sauvignon (blackcurrant, cedar, eucalyptus)
Fragrance: Woody + Aromatic + Chypre (vetiver, cedar, bergamot)
Mood: Urban intellect and toned muscles under tailored suits. City rooftops. Dusk meetings, stolen office pencils. Confident scribblings and dark, hardback notebooks.
Why it works
Both are structured, bold and brooding, yet elegant. Cabernet’s green, earthy, cedar tones with those bell pepper and graphite notes mirror the earthy vetiver and cedar in the fragrance. The bergamot lifts the scent too, just as acidity adds freshness to the Cab.Both feel very grounding.
Shop the Pairing
The Green Road Cabernet Sauvignon, £10 Waitrose
Bon Parfumeur 601, £46 / 30ml Jack Thompson
Pairing No. 6
Primitivo X Bon Parfumeur 401
Wine: Terre di Faiano Organic Primitivo (figs, plum, chocolate, spice)
Fragrance: Gourmand + Fruity + Oriental (cedar, candied plum, vanilla)
Mood: Moody seduction in crushed, deep purple velvet. A candlelit dinner, low laughter, dancing in the kitchen. A long, warm hug.
Why it works: Primitivo from Italy is often intensely ripe with notes of chocolatey fig, black cherry jam, cinnamon and sweet spice. It’s lush, rich and voluptuous. The fragrance mirrors the sweet, candied dark fruit and smooth vanilla beautifully, grounded in cedarwood like the oak in wine. Both are deeply fruit-forward and opulent.
Shop the Pairing
Terre di Faiano Organic Primitivo, £11 Waitrose
Bon Parfumeur 401, £46 / 30ml Jack Thompson
Interesting approach!