How can you tell if a wine is good or bad without opening the bottle?
As the saying goes, people can't look good, and of course they can't take wine by their appearance. So, is there a way to tell the quality of sake without opening the bottle? Strictly speaking, of course, no, but the more you drink and understand more, you will have some experience. Today, I will share with you some dry goods, collect them, and you will definitely be able to use them when buying wine.
● Take a look at the winery and the brand
● Second, look at the wine label
● Look at the wine rating
Winery and brand
To make a name for itself in the huge wine industry, it must rely on excellent quality and good marketing strategies, such as DBR (Lafite) and Penfolds (Penfolds) are typical examples. In addition, if some of the wineries with a long history of development, passed down from family to generations, or small production, or the top wineries in the region, which have a high influence, these wineries will be relatively good and stable, and have their own style, which is worth considering.
Wine labels are the calling card of wine and hold a lot of secrets
In addition to the winery and brand, the wine label contains a lot of information, including its name, appellation, vintage, variety, grade, etc. With this basic information, you can roughly determine where a wine stands. Next, let's take a look at the labels of the world's major wine-producing countries.
01
法国
Wine Grade: French wines are graded from lowest to highest in order of VDF, IGP and AOC (although it is now officially AOP grade, AOC will not disappear for a short time), and in general, the higher the grade, the better. VDF is the most common everyday table wine and is generally cheaper, while AOC is an official wine and has stricter laws in all aspects. However, with the same AOC, there will also be uneven quality, so the next step is to look at the production area.
Region: The smaller the region, the more detailed the wine, the higher the quality and price, such as 3 bottles of AOC wine, produced in Bordeaux, Medoc and Pauillac, which are the best of the 3 wines, and Bordeaux is the second.
Vintage: Buy ordinary table wines or cheap New World wines, don't care too much about the vintage, but some fine wines or high-end wines must be considered, because the climate, light and rainfall will affect the quality of the grapes every year, so the quality of the vintage is directly related to the quality of the wine. For example, Bordeaux has 2010, 2009, 2005 and 2000 in the 21st century, and a bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild 2010 will be of better quality than Château Lafite 2011.
Château Grade: AOC, the highest grade of French wine, can be divided into different grades, with Bordeaux as an example in the chart below. Generally speaking, Premier Cru Château, such as Lafite and Chateau Latour, are of the highest quality.
Ageing: Ageing in oak barrels gives the wine more aromas and flavors, adding a level of complexity and structure, especially for red wines. The longer the ageing, the higher the cost (about 5,000 yuan per barrel), the greater the aging potential and the higher the quality of the wine. Therefore, when buying wine, you can check the age period of the oak barrel of this wine.
Vineyards: In Burgundy, the vineyard is an important indicator of the quality of the wine. The wines here are divided into Regional, Village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru from low to high, with the higher the grade, the better the quality, and the Grand Cru has the best quality with less production.
Look for the winery to see if it is labeled "Chateau": If several wines are of the same grade and region, pay attention to the name of the winery that is preceded by "Chateau". The general label "Chateau" indicates that the wine has its own vineyard and winemaking room, etc., but does not label any winery pronoun, indicating that the wine may be made from grapes purchased by large wine merchants, so the quality of the wine labeled "Chateau" is usually relatively more guaranteed.
Look for the label "Mis En Bouteille Au Chateau": Mis En Bouteille Au Chateau means bottling at the winery, which means that the wine is bottled in the winery after vinification. Instead of winery bottling, the wine is generally transported to a place with bottling line conditions for filling, and there is a risk of damage to the wine during transportation, so the wine labeled "winery bottling" is generally more reliable.
02
意大利
Wine Grade: Italian wines are graded from lowest to highest VDT, IGT, DOC and DOCG, with the higher the grade, the higher the quality of the wine. There are exceptions, however, as some of the Tuscany wineries use varieties other than those required by law, some wines that are higher than DOC and DOCG, but can only be labeled as IGT, and they are the famous Super Tuscany, such as the 100% Merlot Masseto.
Region: Italy's finest wines are mainly produced in Veneto, Tuscany and Piedmont. Among them, Barolo, Barbaresco, Chianti, Montalcino, Montepulciano and Valpolicella are the most well-known sub-regions, and the quality of the wines produced here is not bad.
Ageing time: If the label says "Riserva", it usually means that the wine has been aged in oak barrels for a longer period of time, and the quality is excellent. Italy's most famous Riserva wines are Barolo, Barbaresco, etc., and the standards for aging vary from region to region, for example, Barolo Reserve oak and bottle aging add up to at least 5 years, while Barbaresco is 4 years.
Vintage: If you're buying a bottle of high-end Barolo or Brunello, pay attention to the vintage. The last 10 years of Barolo are 2010, 2006, 2004 and 2001, and the last 10 years of Brunello are 2012, 2010, 2007, 2006 and 2004.
03
德国
Wine Grades: German wines are divided into Deutscher Tafelwein, Landwein, QbA and QmP, among which the highest grade of premium wine is divided into 6 categories according to its natural sugar content, from low to high Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, BA, Grain-by-grain Dry Grape Selection (TBA) and Eiswein (Ice Wine). Generally, the quality of the wines above the selected wine level is higher.
The Eagle Mark of the VDP: VDP is the Verband deutscher Pradikatsweinguter, and the conditions for joining the VDP are very strict, much higher than the official German legal standards, so there are now only 198 wineries in the VDP. VDP is the representative of Germany's top brewers, and if a bottle of German wine has the VDP eagle logo on the neck, it is usually of excellent quality.
VDP classification: Like Burgundy, VDP wines can be classified as Gutswein, Ortswein, ErsteLage and Grosse Lage (Grosse Lage/Grosses Gewachs) according to their origin. GG" embossed text. Grand Cru and Premier Cru are generally marked with the name of the vineyard, with horizontal bars indicating that they are from Grand Cru and Premier Cru, while not necessarily at the regional and village levels.
Golden Cap: The Golden Cap is used for German Pradikat wines, which generally indicate that a wine is of better quality than its basic counterparts, and some of the top wines of top wineries or Grand Cru dry wines from VDP wineries will also be represented by the Golden Cap. However, some wineries have all their wines, while others do not have one, so not all wines are rare and precious.
04
西班牙
Wine Grade: Since 2011, according to the EU standards, as shown in the chart below, DOP wines in Spain can be divided into VC, VP, DO and DOCa from low to high, with the VT wines corresponding to IGP being regional table wines, and the most common being the Vino daily table wine in VDM.
Region: Rioja and Priorat are the only two DOC regions in Spain, so a bottle of wine from Rioja is usually not of poor quality.
Ageing time: Spanish wines are also classified according to the length of age, with DOP wines being divided into three categories: Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, with red wines having a minimum age of 2, 3 and 5 years, respectively. Generally speaking, the quality of the wines labeled Reserva and Gran Reserva is not too bad.
05
Australia
Regions: Adelaide Hill, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Coonawarra, Eden Valley, Hunter Valley, Margaret River, Mclaren Valley and Yarra Valley) is one of Australia's 9 most well-known regions, which can be used as a reference when buying wine.
Well-known wineries: Langton's Classification is the authoritative list of Australian fine wines, and it is also the most important guide for consumers to understand Australian fine wines. It is aimed at a specific type of wine, which requires a high quality of the wine itself, and has a short renewal time, and the market performance of the selected wines must also be very good. In the latest list, the three grades are Exceptional, Outstanding, and Excellent, with a total of 198 wines, and only 21 Premium, and most of the wineries that produce these wines are prestigious wineries, such as Penfolds, Cullen, Grosset, Henschke and Brokenwood, among others.
06
美国
Region: There is no grading system for U.S. wines, only the AVA system for zoning. AVA mainly defines the geographical location and scope of the named territory, and does not involve specific requirements such as grape varieties, planting, winemaking, etc. In general, the smaller the area of the U.S. wine, the higher the quality of the wine, such as Napa Valley and Sonoma County, indicating that the quality of the wine is guaranteed. Smaller appellations such as Rutherford, Stags Leap District and Los Carneros indicate better quality.
07
智利
Wine Classification: Chilean wine classification is a set of subtle classification standards formed over a long period of time, which has been widely recognized in the industry.
Chilean wines, from low to high, are classified from lowest to highest: Varietal, Reserva, Gran Reserva, Reserva de Familia and Premium. Wines of the Reserve and above are generally aged in oak barrels and are of better quality, but this classification can only be used as a reference when distinguishing the quality of different wines from the same winery, and it is not easy to compare the wines of different wineries.
None of the three New World wine-producing countries below have a wine classification, but the wine label usually has the region and variety, so knowing their famous appellations and varieties can also help us choose a wine.
08
新西兰
Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from New Zealand have an important place in New World wines. For fresh and pure Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough is the most classic appellation, while for a plump and crisp New Zealand Pinot Noir, choose Marlborough, Central Otago and Martinborough.
09
南非
Pinotage is a South African grape variety, a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, which can be seen from the Stellenbosch appellation, known as South Africa's "Bordeaux". Stellenbosch produces a Bordeaux-style blend, often with the addition of varieties such as Pinotage and Malbec, for a majestic and full-bodied style.
10
阿根廷
Parker once said that Argentina is "one of the most exciting emerging wine regions in the world." Many Argentine wines have the altitude of the vineyard indicated on their labels, with an average altitude of 900 meters above sea level in Mendoza, Argentina's most important premium wine region. The most important grape variety in Argentina is Malbec, which produces wines that are generally strong and full-bodied. Torrontes is an important white grape variety, producing a rich aroma and high acidity.
The wine's rating is also an important reference
A wine rating is usually an overall assessment of a wine's quality by wine critics. Some wine critics will focus on the study and evaluation of wines in a certain field or region, which has a great influence in that field/appellation, and their ratings can be used as an important reference when buying wine.
Robert Parker's wines from Bordeaux, the Rhône Valley and California are judged on a 100-point scale, and a score of 90 or higher indicates that the wine is worth trying.
James Suckling is a veteran Italian and French wine critic with his own website, www.jamessuckling.com.
James Halliday is a well-known Australian wine critic who also uses a 100-point scale and classifies wineries according to star ratings, which has a great reputation in Australia.
In addition to wine critics, there are also some authoritative wine magazines that also use a 100-point rating system, which can also be referred to, such as Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wines and Spirits, etc.
In addition, the following two points can also add points to the wine.
The world's leading wine competitions generally have a professional team of judges, and the selection method is fair and strict, and the authority is high. If you buy a wine with the Gold medal logo of the following competitions, such as the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), the Decanter Wine Grand Prix (DWWA), the Brussels International Wine Competition (CMB), the International Wine Challenge (IWC), etc., you can roughly judge that the quality is excellent.
If the wine you buy is already doing well according to the label and rating, then the label "Single Vineyard" or "Monopole" is a better guarantee of quality, as the quality of the wine is generally excellent because the single vineyard and the exclusive vineyard are more carefully managed and maintained than the average vineyard.
However, the world of wine is so big, there are surprises, there are exceptions, the above content is only applicable to the preliminary judgment of the quality of the wine before not opening the bottle, drinking is still a more subjective thing, whether it is good or not has to really drink into the mouth to know.END
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