What makes a wine 'fine'?
First things first, there is no official definition of fine wine. To some people, fine wine is defined by price – over £20, £30, £40 a bottle. For others, it’s about a wine’s rarity or reputation.
In truth, there are several factors that affect a wine’s ‘fineness’.
1. Price
The problem with trying to define fine wine by price is that it’s largely subjective.
For some people a £10 bottle is fine wine, for others it’s £100. And while there’s no doubt that fine wine is more expensive than regular wine, it’s not the price itself that makes the wine fine. There are some people who would argue that for a wine to be fine, it needs to increase in value with age.
That’s understandable if you’re a wine investor and collector, but less important for those of us who see wine as something to drink and enjoy!
5. Ageing and age-worthiness
How is fine wine aged? And does fine wine age well? Well, most fine wines are aged in barrel at the winery before they are bottled. But even that’s not clear cut.
Some whites, like Sancerre, are rarely barrel-aged, and there are plenty of examples of Sancerre that we would consider to be fine wine. As for does fine wine age well.
Yes, fine wines have better ageing potential than regular wines. Fine wines are more complex and will usually evolve with age. But there are lots of factors that affect age-worthiness… grape variety, how the wine has been made, and where it’s from.
People sometimes ask us does fine wine expire? No wine lasts forever (although there are people who think the world’s oldest wine at 1,700 years old could still be drinkable!). And while you won’t find a shelf life on a bottle of fine wine, you will find most wine sellers recommend a drinking window – when they think the wines will be drinking at their best.
7. Made with care
The dictionary definition of ‘fine’ is ‘of very high quality’ and fine wine, quite simply, should be a wine of very high quality. This means wines that have been made with lavish care and attention, and where quality isn’t compromised for quantity or cost.
8. Taste
All the above can impact whether a wine is fine or not, but ultimately it comes down to taste. A fine wine should have;
- Balance - where the acidity, tannin, sweetness, body and alcohol are all in harmony
- Complexity - with the wine revealing many different layers of aromas and flavours
- Length - the flavours should last in the mouth
- Elegance - above all, a fine wine should be a pleasure to drink!
As you can tell, what is fine wine is not an easy question to answer. Perhaps the best response is you’ll know when you taste one!
