If you’re part of a wine community, the word “fine” probably gets thrown around a lot. Naturally, everyone wants a taste of fine wine due to its impeccable flavors. Surprisingly, however, many people don’t know what it is exactly that makes fine wine, well…fine! Some say it's because of the chosen grape varieties, while others cling to the idea that the location is of utmost importance. As you can see, there can be quite a debate about fine wine's meaning.
So, let’s debunk this! Firstly, whether you agree that location or grape varieties are most important, you’re both right - to an extent. To put it simply, fine wine is recognized for its authentic taste. From the first sip, you’ll clearly understand why they have such a hefty price tag. However, there’s a lot that goes into the taste, including balance, complexity, length, and terroir.
To better understand fine wine's meaning, we’ll go into these details individually. By doing so, you’ll know what to look for the next time you’re sipping on exquisite wines.
Balance
Like with most things in life, balance is more than necessary. When it comes to fine wine, the world’s best are balanced to perfection. Everything from the acidity and sweetness to the body and alcohol content needs to be precisely tweaked, resulting in the wine’s one-of-a-kind taste. Still, there’s no formula for the right balance. In other words, the process is always different which is why producing fine wine can sometimes be rather challenging.
Complexity
Another important aspect of fine wine’s meaning lies in its complexity. As you can imagine, the average wines don’t have a lot of aromas and flavor, and you hardly even pay attention to them. Fine wines, on the other hand, are as complex as ever, providing a sensational experience.
Many things contribute to the wine’s complexity. For one, it’s all about grapes and the way they’re grown. Every winegrower has their own unique set of techniques and tricks, providing a lot of diversity in the wine’s taste. Additionally, aging plays a big role as well. Since most of them are designed for it, they develop their complexity while being stored in the bottle.
Length
Do you know that lingering taste in your mouth after you’ve sipped on your wine? The aftertaste, more specifically its length, is measured to indicate whether the wine is indeed fine. Simply put, the aftertaste should be rather lengthy, sometimes even up to 30 seconds.
Terroir
Finally, one of the most important aspects of fine wine meaning is terroir. When you have a glass of these exclusive wines, you’re not only tasting its flavor, but also the region where it's coming from. Terroir combines everything from the type of soil to the climate. As previously mentioned, every wine producer has their own secrets, which is why most fine wines are made from a single vineyard. Still, it’s not hard to find ones with grapes from mixed vineyards.
These four aspects are the secret to fine wine meaning; that the richer they are, the more fabulous the experience will be. With that, explore our selection of fine wines and prepare for a taste like no other!
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