What does “notes” mean when referring to a wine? Cooking Q&A › What does “notes” mean when referring to a wine? 0 Vote Up Vote Down Jay Staff asked 10 years ago 1 Answers 0 Vote Up Vote Down Jay Staff answered 10 years ago “Notes” refer to both the aromas and flavors of a wine. It indicates a more nuanced part of a wine’s profile—“an herbal note” means that the herbal component of the wine isn’t dominating the wine.