What is Fine Wine?
What exactly is fine wine? After consulting the Googles, there isn’t actually a straightforward answer. Even Masters of Wine and fine wine specialists seem to say that the term is subjective. However, after some pondering, it seems to be mostly to do with ageing. Fine wines are designed to be aged, from the decision about the grape variety and the timing of the picking to the type of vessel the wine is to be aged in. It is very much related to cost because ageing wines is expensive – one French oak barrel can cost from around £1000 to upwards of £4000!
We treat fine wines very carefully. We store them in perfect conditions on their side, we use high quality corks and we wait. For years.
HOWEVER! Most wines in the world are NOT designed to be aged. I’m quoting from Wiki here, but “it is estimated that 90% of wine is meant to be consumed within a year of production, and 99% of wine within 5 years”.
That’s fascinating because most of us treat our wines like fine wines and a lot of the preconceptions or misconceptions about wine in the UK are down to this.
>Read 7 Ways To Become A Better Wine Lover
Does good wine have to be expensive? No. An inexpensive wine can be good because it hasn’t been aged.
Does a screwcap mean it’s a cheap wine? No. A screwcap wine hasn’t been designed to age over many years, so it doesn’t need a cork and the wine inside can be excellent.
Is wine in a can cheap and nasty? No. Cans are inert and actually preserve freshness in a youthful wine. (Cheap and nasty wines do exist in cans but they also exist in bottles!)
These are just some examples. But the message is: Drink your wines! Embrace screwcaps and cans! So many of my friends keep wines they’ve been given as presents for years and years and I always think that’s such a shame because most wines are released on sale at their peak. Enjoy your wine now. Not all wine is fine… but all wine can be good.