Understanding What Makes a Wine Good
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is a Good Wine?
If you want to know how to find a good wine, you must know what good wine is. Let’s start by saying no wine is better than others — they’re different and suit different needs. Wine-in-a-box might underperform at a long tablecloth dinner party, but it’s perfect for an evening grilling in the backyard.
Having said that, wine does come in different qualities, and, in this aspect, some wines are better than others. Also, good wine is in good shape, so detecting faulty wine is paramount. Let’s talk about finding good wine.
Good Wine Has Typicity
Typicity is not a word we use every day, but it’s the very definition of good wine — wine with typicity looks, smells and tastes as it should look, smell and taste. In other words, good wine is a great ambassador for its category, and that means the grapes used to make it and its origin.
When you purchase a bottle of Cabernet, you expect a berry-scented, robust red wine with noticeable astringency and a full body, and anything else would be a disappointment. The same goes for all types of wine; you buy Merlot because it’s round and juicy and enjoy Chardonnay for its golden apple scents and buttery palate. Good wine never disappoints.
Good Wine is Balanced
Contrary to common belief, good wine is not always big and bold or incredibly complex on the nose. Some wines shine for their fruitiness and approachability. What all good wine has in common is that it is balanced.
Wine lacks balance when it is too astringent, acidic or alcoholic — when one sent, taste or sensation overwhelms the others. Wine can also be overly sweet or non-aromatic, which are also signs of imbalance. Wine is, without a doubt, an interesting drink, as it offers dozens of aromas and exciting flavors, but, above all, wine must be pleasing — unbalanced wine is distracting.
Wine Faults
Then you have wine faults; wine that has gone bad is to be avoided, of course, but figuring out if a wine is good or past its prime can be challenging. Here’s how to spot faulty wine with your sight, nose and palate.
Sight. Young red wine is rub-colored or attractively purple. Orange hues are typical in aged reds, but that’s not all that bad. When wine is brown, opaque or murky, it might be past its prime. For whites, avoid deep yellow or brown wines.
Nose. Wine should smell like fruit. Herbal, floral and earthy aromas are also delightful. Funky smells, unusual aromas redolent of chemicals, mold or barnyard indicate something is wrong with the wine.
Palate. Wine should taste tart but not sour. Volatile acidity, AKA vinegar taint, is one of the most typical wine faults. Bacteria turn alcohol in wine into vinegar, and if you’ve tried vinaigrette salad dressings before, you can detect vinegar in the first sip.
What’s a Good Wine for You?
Now that we’ve discussed typicity and balance in wine and the easiest ways to detect faulty wine, let’s talk about what good wine really is. The best wine is the one you enjoy the most. Wine is noble like that.
Don’t worry too much about price tags, grape varieties or wine regions; find the wine that you enjoy and ensure it is balanced and typical for the style and is not in bad shape. Other than that, you’re all good. Cheers!
All good wines have one thing in common. They are balanced. However, the best wine is wine you enjoy.
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For more information on finding a good wine be sure to read:
https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/the-science-behind-great-wine/
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/4-ways-to-know-if-your-wine-is-good/
https://wineandotherstories.com/the-six-attributes-of-quality-in-wine/
