The 4 Factors and 4 Indicators of Wine Quality

You would love to have the best quality wines in your collection as a wine enthusiast. However, choosing the best quality wine is not an easy feat. Not all expensive wines are good wines. You need to look beyond the price tag and year of manufacturing to pick your perfect wine. So, what goes into the making of a great wine?

Here are some factors and indicators that you can look for to determine your wine’s quality.

Factors that affect wine quality

• Climate and weather: The first thing that affects a wine’s quality is the climate and terrain of the estate where the grapes are grown. They affect the flavor and taste of the grapes greatly.

• Temperature and sunlight: Wine grapes are usually grown at 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure their freshness and exquisite flavor. Outside of this temperature range, the grapes won’t ripen appropriately, compromising their flavor profiles.

• Growing practices: Apart from the weather, how the wine manufacturer manages the grapes also affects the grape quality. Harvesting the grapes at the right time and providing them with the proper nutrients and care is critical to ensure subsequent wine quality.

• Wine-making practices: Once the grapes are harvested, how they are turned into wine also plays a vital role in determining the quality of the wine. Winemaking is a complex art; every step of the process needs to be done just right to achieve the perfect blend of taste and quality.

Indicators of wine quality

• Complexity: One way to determine the quality of a wine is to study the complexity of its flavor profile. Most high-quality wines have layers of flavor in a single bottle that leave a reminiscing aftertaste. Cheaper wines mostly have only one or two main notes that don’t linger on the palate after some time.

• Balance: High-quality wines have a rare balance of flavors that many wine connoisseurs swear by. You get a perfect mix of sweetness, tannins, acidity, fruit, and alcohol in almost all good quality wines.

• Typicity: Another indicator of wine quality is its typicity, or how it looks and tastes compared to how it is supposed to look. For instance, Red Wine, true to its namesake, has a rich red color and tastes rich and savory with high tannin.

• Intensity and finish: Lastly, you should look for high-intensity flavors and finish when testing wines — high-quality wines leave a lasting taste in your mouth after every sip. Low-quality wines, on the other hand, have a very forgetful flavor profile and pack less ‘punch’ in every sip.

All these indicators can help you determine the true quality of a wine bottle. You should always taste the wine and quiz the wine manufacturer about how it is made to ascertain its quality before buying it.

About Weibel Winery

Wines are as good as the wineries that make them, and when it comes to wineries, Weibel Winery is as good as it gets. Established in 1946, Weibel Winery has been creating the country’s finest premium wines for decades. You are welcome to visit our stores near your location to taste and buy some of our exceptional creations. You can also order sparkling wines online from our store.