Creative Writing | Guide to Wine | Genealogy

Fine Wines

The word 'fine' has the capacity to transform the image of a wine from being a humble agricultural product to the result of artistic endeavour.

Yet, 'fine' is a deeply subjective term that could be used to describe the contents of any bottle whether it be the product of a winery with all the charm of an oil refinery or the product of a small vineyard where wine is painstakingly crafted to make it as close to perfection as humanly possible. So what does 'fine' mean? Is it simply used to justify high prices or is it a genuinely useful term that offers some guarantee of quality? In order to explore this subject it is essential that the freethinking drinker distinguishes two very different sorts of wine:

EVERYDAY WINE

It doesn't sound great does it? Yet the term 'everyday wine' is useful shorthand for wine that is of basic quality - simple, attractive and a good all-round companion to food. The quality of everyday wine has improved dramatically in the last twenty years. Better winemaking methods have made the quality of basic wine better than ever before, and because of the spread of winemaking all over the world it is now more plentiful - and therefore cheaper - than ever before.

There are two different types of everyday wine. One is 'global everyday wine', which is usually made from well-known grape varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet and tastes the same wherever it is made. The other is 'country-specific everyday wine' - most of it made in Europe - which reflects the winemaking culture of the region in which it was produced. Which style you choose is simply a question of your own personal taste - or perhaps the food you are eating (e.g. a basic typical Italian red might taste better with spaghetti Bolognese than would a fruity Chilean Merlot).

FINE WINE

This sort of wine aims to reflect one or more of the following:

the climate and soil of the landscape where it was made
the grape - or grapes - from which it was made
the year in which it was made.

In order to achieve any one of these qualities it is essential that the wine is made with care and from the highest-quality grapes. But remember that a fine wine won't necessarily offer more sensual enjoyment than an everyday wine. Tasting it might be more of an intellectual challenge, but it won't necessarily be as enjoyable as a simple bottle of plonk drunk with steak and chips.

TASTE TEST

The following test includes comparisons that you may have performed in other Taste Tests, but for the purposes of this subject it is good to explore them again:

expensive red Bordeaux from a vintage in the early 90s + expensive Australian Shiraz + inexpensive Chilean Merlot + inexpensive but attractive Valpolicella

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

This line-up includes examples of fine wines, as well as global wines and countryspecific everyday wines. Try marking the wines when you are tasting them blind so that you can compare them with their prices.

You might discover wines that are technically 'fine' but which you don't find especially attractive - particularly among those from Australia. One of the disadvantages of the very competitive nature of the Australian winemaking industry is that many wines are made to display pronounced flavours and aromas that will stand out in competitions, but these aren't necessarily the same wines that you might want to spend an evening with.

THE PRICE OF FINE WINE

Don't allow yourself to be conned into thinking that all fine wines have fancy names and fancy prices. Wine can be expensive for a variety of reasons. It might simply be a rarity, or have been given a glowing but misjudged endorsement by an influential wine critic - in fact all sorts of reasons that have little to do with the flavour of the wine in the bottle. Equally, wine can be inexpensive but delicious, perhaps because it is heavily discounted or because it comes from a region where there is oversupply. Though you will pay a premium for wines from a prestigious producer, it is quite possible to find beautifully crafted wines in more offbeat regions such as the South of France and Spain.


Custom Search