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Wines
A-Z:
Q is for Quality
A
"good" wine, like "good"
music, is largely in the eye of the beholder.
Which
explains why White Zinfandel is wildly popular
with a huge segment of the population, yet is
reviled by many wine critics.
And
why critics go absolutely nuts in their praise
of some Red Bordeaux and California Cabernet
Sauvignon bottlings that are considered "bitter"
and undrinkable by many people.
Given
the fact that everybody's perceptions of aromas
and flavors are at least a little bit different,
is it possible to define a "quality"
wine?
Yes.
Quality
Factors
 *
A lesser wine may possess certain aromas that
are less than pleasureable: sulphur, barnyard-like,
cat pee, etc. (You'd be amazed at some of
the descriptors the ACWC Tasting Panel has
used when assessing certain wines that didn't
make the cut.)
*
A quality wine offers aromas and flavors that
are both pleasant and typical of the varietal
(a floral aroma for Viognier, a cherry/berry
flavor for Cabernet Sauvignon).
*
A lesser wine is simple - light in color,
lacking in flavor, and possessing hardly any
finish at all.
*
A quality wine is nuanced - its color is deep,
its aromas and flavors are many and varied,
and its finish is memorable... begging for
another sip.
No
Rules, Just Right
Sorry
if that sounds like a commercial for a certain
steakhouse, mate, but it's a good way of saying
that there are no absolute rules for determining
wine "quality."
Just
as there's no way to compare classical music
with rap, there's no good way of comparing Cabernet
Sauvignon with Chardonnay.
Every
wine of every varietal of every region of every
country must ultimately be assessed on its own
merits.
Does
a delicately-flavored white wine from Alsace
rank lower on the quality scale than a massively-extracted
Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley?
We
think not.
(Nor
does it rank higher. Remember: "eye of
the beholder.")
Defining
Characteristics
Ultimately,
a quality wine requires only a few characteristics:
- It
should be identifiable, preferably by both
varietal and "place."
- It
should possess no flaws - i.e., made with
underripe fruit, or aged in
barrels whose characteristics overpower
the fruit.
- It
should be in balance - not overly tannic
or overly acidic.
- (And
perhaps most important of all...) It should
be a wine that YOU
like.
Shameless
Plug
Every
ACWC Featured Wine Selection is guaranteed to
possess the first three
"Defining Characteristics" of quality
listed in the previous link.
And
in a vast majority of cases, a wine with those
qualities will be a wine
that you'll like... if not love.
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