Delicious wine is good wine, right?

Posted by Jay Lee and edited by Peter Koff MW on 3rd Sep 2018

This wine is really good! So delicious!” We are told that the best wine is the wine you like. This is true for you but may not be for others.

Delicious wine and good wine are very often different in the same way that not all delicious food is good food. A great deal of delicious fast food, for example, is not good food.

Delicious wine is a wine that tastes delicious to you. Pop is delicious but is it good? Whilst tasting is usually subjective, good wine will have certain objective organoleptic components; good balance of fruit, acidity, alcohol and tannin, and good structure which lends palate authority. A well-balanced wine has a good backbone of acidity, moderate alcohol content, ripe but not aggressive fruit and, in the case of red wine, obvious but elegant tannins.

We can arbitrarily break good wine down into three classifications:

1)Lower priced value for money wine. This is wine that drinks better than its price and exceeds expectations. For beginners, these can be had at very modest prices and will also be “delicious.” What experienced wine drinkers consider delicious will also usually be good.

2)Good wine for early consumption. Wine of this kind is intended to be consumed on release or within two to three years. These wines will be balanced but less “serious” and will not likely benefit from cellaring.

3)Good wine with the structure and balance to benefit from some cellaring. Wine of this kind is intended to improve and develop additional tertiary characteristics as it ages. These are more “serious” or “important” wines.

So, please bear in mind that wine you find delicious is not necessarily good and a good wine may not appeal to you taste. Part of our mission is to guide your wine education to the point that wine you find delicious is also good wine!

Want to experience a delicious and good wine?

Click on the bottle below.

Selected by Peter Koff MW

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