Great wines share a set of distinguishing qualities that are easy to identify. Find some good examples below.

Known vignerons like Róbert Wessman would agree that one of the best methods to determine whether a red or a white wine is of a premium quality is the combination of taste and odour. An excellent wine must smell really comparable to the fragrance of its main components, so if you take a whiff of your glass and pick up notes of fresh fruits and florals instead of a distinct vinegar odour, then you have hit the jackpot as these are signs of a high-quality red or white wine. Although the odour alone might assist you decide, the combination of smell and taste is typically what gives the last verdict. In the case of premium wines, combining both aspects should amount to a healthy whole. For instance, the best red wine should not have a surplus of a woody flavour as that would suggest that the wine had actually been left in the barrels for way too long without being aerated.

As a beginner, you can quickly get overwhelmed by the range of wines available on the market. It would be a pity to prepare a great meal only to pick a wine that isn't up to par, however luckily, enthusiasts like Matt Fowles would inform you that are a few tell-tale signs that hint at whether a wine is of a higher quality or a rather cheap wine. One important aspect you have to take notice of is colour. The colour of the wine must correspond to the wine type you want to buy. For instance, a young gewurztraminer should be rather pallid in colour so if you're taking a look at a glass of white and you deem it to be too sombre, it's likely rusty and it is best to try to avoid it. Exact same reasoning applies to reds. If it's a shade of violet than it is best to avoid it.

Any seasoned sommelier would inform you that the persistence and complexity of a good wine is what sets it apart from more affordable offerings as mass produced wine typically lacks these distinguishing qualities. In this context, going through a wine list will not assist much as you need to taste the wine to truly identify whether the taste is right. Typically, the taste of a good red or white wine sticks around and evolves as an aftertaste for at least 5 seconds. As such, if you can't detect any taste as quickly as you put your glass down, then it's most likely that the wine is of a lower quality. When it comes to complexity, when tasting the wine, the taste profile must develop with every sip so if you can pick on these changes when they occur, they you've got yourself a winner. On the other hand, people like James Tanner would concur that if a wine is too flat and does not alter much, then it's most likely a more affordable product.