Once
again, I'd like to welcome Durella DeGrasse, my long-time friend and certified
wine professional, to Book Blather. If, like me, you're a certified wine idiot
(think Two Buck Chuck) you'll enjoy the following article.
Those
of us who drink wine on a daily basis (it's part of my job...I'm doing
research!) don't think too much about the five elements of a "great
wine" but rather just want to enjoy a glass or two of wine while making
dinner and to enjoy with the meal. But every now and then, maybe when we've
read about a special wine and we find it at the wine shop, or when dining at a
restaurant that offers a distinctive selection of wine, we might want to take a
moment to analyze that wine we purchase. Here is my guide for what makes great
wine great:
•
Distinct varietal character: Each variety of grapes
presents itself in a unique way. When a young wine that has been made from a
single variety of grape presents its inherent grape aromas and flavors in a
straightforward, clear, and focused way, it is said to have varietal character.
•
Integration: All components of a wine (acid, tannin,
alcohol, fruit, sugar) are so impeccably interwoven that no one characteristic
or component stands out.
•
Expressiveness: The quality a wine possesses when its aromas
and flavors are well-defined and clearly projected.
•
Complexity: Not a thing but a phenomenon. A force that
pulls you into a wine and impels you to repeatedly return for another smell and
sip because each time you do, you find something new.
•
Connectedness: The most elusive of these concepts and the
most difficult to ascertain. It is the sense you get from the wine's aromas and
flavor that it could not have come from just anywhere but rather is the
embodiment of a single piece of earth. Connectedness is the bond between a wine
and the plot of land it was born in.
I
don't think spending $75 for a bottle of wine is a guarantee of a great wine.
I've had some great wines for under $20. Continue to read about wine, to visit
your local wineries/wine shops and to enjoy wine!
Salute!
Durella
DeGrasse
Certified Wine Professional
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