Favourite Quality in a wine

[Jack_Linden]

The ability to make good food even better.

[Kent_Comley]

alcohol

[Howard_Cooper]

“It’s deja vu all over again” -YB
Whats your favourite wine characteristic ? - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers

My answer has not changed.

Neither has mine: complexity. Which by my definition has some similarities to Howard’s “length.” The ability of a wine to reveal multiple different aromas and tastes, as each taste evolves on the nose and palate and over time as the bottle is consumed. That’s what turns an excellent, balanced wine into an outstanding experience.

[Howard_Cooper]

The people behind the wine.

Interesting. This means absolutely nothing to me. I suppose if Pol Pot made the wine I’d find something else to drink but I can’t think of a time when this was any factor at all in a purchasing decision.

(I should add in the interest of candor and completeness, that while I would not buy Trump wine if it were made by my best friend because an expensive over-oaked VA cab is about the bottom of my shopping list, if he bought Chateau Latour it might give me pause.)

I must admit that more and more over time I have been buying wines where I have visited the producer - esp. Burgundies. There is some level of confirmation here in that I tend to visit producers where I like the wines. But, going to a winery, meeting the people who make the wines (this really is more of a Burgundy thing as in many regions like California this generally does not happen), seeing how they make wines, tasting through a range of wines, etc., often makes me feel more comfortable buying future vintages without having tasted the new wines.

[Mark_Golodetz]

Character.

[Neal.Mollen]

The people behind the wine.

Interesting. This means absolutely nothing to me. I suppose if Pol Pot made the wine I’d find something else to drink but I can’t think of a time when this was any factor at all in a purchasing decision.

(I should add in the interest of candor and completeness, that while I would not buy Trump wine if it were made by my best friend because an expensive over-oaked VA cab is about the bottom of my shopping list, if he bought Chateau Latour it might give me pause.)

I must admit that more and more over time I have been buying wines where I have visited the producer - esp. Burgundies. There is some level of confirmation here in that I tend to visit producers where I like the wines. But, going to a winery, meeting the people who make the wines (this really is more of a Burgundy thing as in many regions like California this generally does not happen), seeing how they make wines, tasting through a range of wines, etc., often makes me feel more comfortable buying future vintages without having tasted the new wines.

I think you and Frank are saying two different things. Unless I misread you, you are saying that having visited an operation and talked to the winemakers gives you confidence that they are likely to make a wine you will like even without tasting it first. That is a kind of information gathering that makes sense to me. I understood Frank to be saying that the character of the folks who make the wine is a primary factor in purchase decisions – I like the people so I like and will buy the wine. That is a perspective I do not share.

[Chris_Seiber]

… the moorishness of the wine…

There are words that, no matter how many times I see them, I still have no idea what they really mean and this is one of them, in addition to gourmand(as used in wines, esp Burgundy), and linear. Really have no idea what the hell they mean.

But, to answer the question, probably texture and weight, followed by fragrance.

Moorishness is the quality of a wine being similar to a Moor (them being muslims who took over Spain in the 8th Century), on which I and David just commented.

Obviously.

Actually, they were called the Moops, and the quality is Moopishness.

[Howard_Cooper]

Interesting. This means absolutely nothing to me. I suppose if Pol Pot made the wine I’d find something else to drink but I can’t think of a time when this was any factor at all in a purchasing decision.

(I should add in the interest of candor and completeness, that while I would not buy Trump wine if it were made by my best friend because an expensive over-oaked VA cab is about the bottom of my shopping list, if he bought Chateau Latour it might give me pause.)

I must admit that more and more over time I have been buying wines where I have visited the producer - esp. Burgundies. There is some level of confirmation here in that I tend to visit producers where I like the wines. But, going to a winery, meeting the people who make the wines (this really is more of a Burgundy thing as in many regions like California this generally does not happen), seeing how they make wines, tasting through a range of wines, etc., often makes me feel more comfortable buying future vintages without having tasted the new wines.

I think you and Frank are saying two different things. Unless I misread you, you are saying that having visited an operation and talked to the winemakers gives you confidence that they are likely to make a wine you will like even without tasting it first. That is a kind of information gathering that makes sense to me. I understood Frank to be saying that the character of the folks who make the wine is a primary factor in purchase decisions – I like the people so I like and will buy the wine. That is a perspective I do not share.

In at least some cases (for example, Blair Pethel), it is probably some of both. I liked how he made the wines but I probably like the wines even more because I like him.

[C_Keller]

Alcohol. Taste. Smell.

Have no clue wtf structure, texture, tannins, etc. anything else are so I can’t gauge on this.

[Alan_Rath]

My favourite quality is colour.

[PCLIN]

Balance, Harmony. Applies to pretty much anything.

Other attributes tend to be wine or category specific

+1

[Howard_Cooper]

My favourite quality is colour.

What does this mean - dark color, light color, bright color, cloudier color??? I have found that many of my very favorite red wines have a much lighter color than I would have expected and that I cannot tell that much from the color of a wine as to whether I will like the wine.

[Gerhard_P]

imho there cannot be a SINGLE quality that defines a great wine -
several components must go together well to create a convincing quality.

Colour alone without apropriate structure is nothing,
structure alone without necessary fruit is a bad thing,
fruit without acidity,
acidity without fruit …
power without complexity,
finesse without intensity and length,
and so on …

[Gerhard_P]

The people behind the wine.

Nope.
Yesterday I attended a concert of one of my fav. (Rock-Pop-)musicians/composers, who also produces wine …
and which was served to the audience: one was called Roxanne (white), another “They dance alone” (red) …
one glass of each was enough - for the lifetime …
not that the wines were bad, they were ok, quite honest, said to be organic, and tasting like a lot of similar wines from Tuscany IGP, but definitely more expensive (incl. a bonus) …

I love the man, but not the wines …

[Alan_Rath]

My favourite quality is colour.

What does this mean - dark color, light color, bright color, cloudier color??? I have found that many of my very favorite red wines have a much lighter color than I would have expected and that I cannot tell that much from the color of a wine as to whether I will like the wine.

Howard, just a silly answer, play on “favourite”

[Howard_Cooper]

My favourite quality is colour.

What does this mean - dark color, light color, bright color, cloudier color??? I have found that many of my very favorite red wines have a much lighter color than I would have expected and that I cannot tell that much from the color of a wine as to whether I will like the wine.

Howard, just a silly answer, play on “favourite”

[Brady_Daniels]

I think it makes total sense to enjoy wines from wineries you visited.

Sometimes wine is just a beverage, sometimes it helps create a narrative. It’s hard to go too wrong reminiscing about excellent vacations, places you’ve seen and people you liked.

[mark_rudner]

seriously? this question again?
too soon? maybe not?

[David_Glasser]

seriously? this question again?
too soon? maybe not?

Maybe if we drank zero-alcohol wine, our memories would be better.

[Mattstolz]

my single favorite is an intriguing nose on a wine. with the right wine I am almost as happy just sitting and smelling it as I am actually drinking it. a good, bright, complex nose is easily the most enjoyable part of a good wine for me.