Le Nez du Vin: The Complete Guide to Wine Aroma Kits by Jean Lenoir

Le Nez du Vin is the world's reference wine aroma training kit, created in 1981 by French expert Jean Lenoir. Each kit contains vials that isolate a single precise scent found in wine — black cherry, violet, green pepper, leather, truffle, vanilla — with an illustrated guidebook connecting every aroma to the grape, terroir or winemaking process that produces it. The range runs from a six-aroma introduction to the 54-aroma Master Kit, plus focused kits for oak ageing and wine faults.

Quick answer

• The Nose Knows, 6 aromas: a first step, and the natural introductory gift.
• Themed kits, 12 aromas each: reds, whites and champagne, oak ageing, or wine faults.
• Duo Kit, 24 aromas: the essentials of both reds and whites. Ideal for WSET Level 2.
• Master Kit, 54 aromas: the complete reference. Sommeliers, educators, WSET Level 3 and beyond.
• Important: the aromas in The Oak and The Faults are not included in the 54, which makes them the natural companions rather than duplicates.
• Aromas guaranteed for five years. Produced in France. No alcohol — nothing in a kit is drinkable.

What is Le Nez du Vin?

Every wine lover knows the feeling: you swirl the glass, bring it to your nose, and sense something — ripe fruit, a hint of spice, something earthy underneath — but the words refuse to come. Closing that gap between perception and language is exactly what Le Nez du Vin was created to do.

The principle is simple but powerful. Our sense of smell remembers scents far better than it can name them on demand. By smelling an isolated aroma repeatedly, in a controlled and reproducible form, you build an olfactory reference library — a mental catalogue you carry to every glass. The next time that scent appears in a wine, your nose recognises it and the word arrives with it.

Each kit is artisanally produced in France and comes with an illustrated guidebook connecting every aroma to its origin in the grape, the terroir, the winemaking or the ageing. The aromas are guaranteed for five years under proper storage.

The range: which kit is right for you?

The 54 Master Kit covers the fruity, floral, vegetal, spicy, balsamic, animal and toasted families found across red and white wines. The 24 Duo Kit brings together the 12 essential red aromas and the 12 essential white and champagne aromas — broad enough to cover the core vocabulary of both, at a more accessible scale.

The focused 12-aroma kits let you go deep on one dimension: reds, whites and champagne, oak ageing, or wine faults. For owners of the Master Kit this matters: the aromas in The Oak and The Faults are not among the 54, which makes them the natural way to complete a collection rather than a duplication of it.

And if you are just beginning, or buying a gift, The Nose Knows is the gentlest entry point — six emblematic wine aromas. Our guide to Le Nez du Vin as a gift works through the choice by recipient.

How to use Le Nez du Vin

Work in a neutral space. A quiet, odour-free environment where you can concentrate on each scent without distraction.

Smell blind first. Take a vial without looking at the label and inhale slowly — not a quick sniff. Try to name the aroma, or at least place it in a family. Then check. The gap between guess and answer is precisely where learning happens.

Use the guidebook actively. After identifying a scent, read why it appears in wine: which grape, which process, which ageing produces it. Understanding the cause turns memorisation into comprehension.

Practise in short, regular sessions. The nose tires after six or eight vials. Fifteen minutes twice a week beats two hours once a month.

Bridge kit and glass. After a session, open a bottle and find the aromas you have just studied. A wine that once seemed simply fruity begins to reveal its layers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the 24 and the 54?

Coverage, not quality. The 24 gives the core vocabulary of reds and whites; the 54 adds the balsamic, animal and toasted families, and the rarer fruit and floral notes that appear in complex or aged wines.

If I own the 54, is there anything left to buy?

Yes — The Oak and The Faults. Their aromas are deliberately not included in the 54, so they extend the collection rather than repeat it.

Does Le Nez du Vin contain wine or alcohol?

No. The vials hold aromatic essences on a neutral base. There is no wine and no alcohol in any kit, and nothing in them is drinkable.

Is it useful for WSET students?

Very. The Duo Kit of 24 covers the aromatic vocabulary expected at Level 2, and the 54 Master Kit is the reference most candidates use from Level 3 through Diploma.

How long do the aromas last?

Guaranteed for five years, and up to ten if the vials are closed promptly and kept away from heat and direct light.

Can I learn to spot a corked wine with it?

That is exactly what The Faults kit is for. It isolates cork taint, oxidation and volatile acidity so you can recognise them with certainty rather than suspecting something is off without knowing what.

Do I need any wine training to start?

None. The guidebook is written to be followed with no prior background, and the method is simply repetition over time.

Why train your nose?

Tasting is mostly smelling. The tongue detects only a handful of basic sensations; the overwhelming majority of what we call flavour is aroma. A trained sense of smell is therefore the single greatest lever for deepening your understanding of wine — the vocabulary to describe what you taste, the confidence to trust your perception, and the ability to recognise grape varieties, regions and winemaking choices from the glass alone.

Explore the Le Nez du Vin collection →

Le Nez du Vin kits are available at Wine World Tasters with worldwide shipping and a 60-day return policy. Not sure which kit suits you best? Contact us — we are happy to help you choose.