Volatile Compounds. Definition - What does Volatile Compounds mean? In the tasting of a wine, the volatile compounds are those compounds which evaporate from the wine and become suspended on the surface of the wine and in its holding vessel (i.e. glass, decanter, etc.) They are the very compounds which contribute to a wine's aroma. The compounds are vaporized and noted in the retro-nasal region of our palates. WineFrog explains Volatile Compounds It is during the periods of fermentation and first few months following fermentation that chemical reactions between wine and compounds will have the most influence on a wine's aroma than during any other stage in the wine's life.