You smell it before tasting.
Annusa: an-NOO-zah. From annusare — to sniff. Double n, stress on the second syllable.
A guide or sommelier will say this when pouring the first wine. Knowing the instruction lets you participate correctly and confidently.
Si annusa is the impersonal reflexive — 'one smells it'. Prima di assaggiare means 'before tasting'. This is the standard Italian instruction at any professional tasting.
Che profumo intenso!
What an intense aroma!
Your reaction after smelling — profumo = scent/perfume.
Sento i frutti di bosco.
I can smell forest berries.
Identifying aromas — a key tasting skill.
Ha un naso molto complesso.
It has a very complex nose.
Il naso — the nose — is the aroma profile of a wine.
Italian wine tasting follows a three-step ritual: vista (visual), olfatto (smell), and gusto (taste). Professional Italian sommeliers are trained by the AIS (Associazione Italiana Sommeliers) and can identify dozens of aromas in a single wine.