Question about wine

[EsterPellis]

I have a general question about wine. I hope you could answer the question for me, as extensive as possible. This question is a part of a research for a class at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA.

What are you looking for in a wine? What makes you like a wine, what is important to you in a wine? Be as expressive as possible in your answer.

Thanks in advance for you answers,
Ester Pellis

[wondersofwine]

I look for an attractive nose (fragrance, aroma, bouquet), presence of vibrant fruit (not tasting stewed or unripe or overripened), balance of acids, tannins, fruit, alcohol, lack of any obvious flaws. I personally don't like wines that are too tannic, too noticeably high in alcohol, too acidic or tart. About 90% of the time I have wine with meals so I like a wine to be food-friendly. Too much wood influence or too much "barnyard" smell may clash with food. A wine that is too "jammy" (overripe/oversweet fruit) is also not a good dinner wine. Some grape varieties (Riesling, Pinot Noir) are quite versatile with food. Others like Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc are suited to particular types of food (Cabernet Sauvignon with hearty beef such as steak or Sauvignon Blanc with salads with vinaigrette, green vegetables, some fish and seafood.)
Sometimes I'm happy with a wine that gives a good first impression and invites further sipping. Other times, especially with an expensive wine, I look for more complexity and depth--many flavors combined into the whole, evolving in the glass or decanter, a wine that rewards study and a thoughtful approach.

[Jackie]

What a good answer! I second everything...

J.

[hotwine]

Superb, Wonders. Too bad EP will receive the top grade instead of you.

[winoweenie]

Hi EP and welcome to the board. If you go back for the last 5 years I've quit answering questions that are assigned schoolwork for the simple reason IMHO it makes you children lazy and non-entrepenourial. You owe a great thanks to the lovely WOW to give you a most thoughtful and incisive answer. Number 2,this is probably the worst question I've ever seen assigned to a class. Every aspect of this is so subjective that there's no way in hades any meaningful answer could be gleaned from 2-200-2000-or 20000 answers. Every one could be different. Sheesh! WW

[EsterPellis]

Thank you for your answers. I would like to explain why I posted this question. I purposely asked a vague, subjective question. I am not looking for the one right answer or the majority opinion; I want to know which words wine enthusiasts use to describe their passion.

This forum discussion is part of a research that includes quantitative (survey) and qualitative methods (one-on-one interviews, focus groups). The research is about South African wines. I would like to ask you a second question:

South African wines are fairly unknown in the United States. Do you think South African wines have a chance in the American market?

[dananne]

I would argue that SA wines aren't unknown, and have made a great deal of progress since the end of the apartheid. Some wines sell quite well, such as the Fairview/Beck wine Goats Do Roam. Qualitatively, the wines have made great progress, as well. The only lingering problem is marketplace niche. For awhile, it looked like they would hang their hat on the unique Pinotage, and some good producers got some recognition in the marketplace (such as Kanonkop). Steen/Chenin Blanc looked to be a good bet for whites, but never really gained any traction. Now, I'd guess that reasonably-priced Syrah will turn out to be their red star, offering a bit more stuffing and nuance than similarly-priced competition from Australia, while Sauvignon Blanc will try to find a place alongside the NZ versions. That's just my two cents.

[EsterPellis]

Thank you for your answers, you have been a great help!

[Drew]

(Standing and applauding)
Wonderful descriptor WOW, don't think many could have said it better.

EsterPellis, I too dabbled in many South African wines that I could find, mostly Pinotage and Syrah, and found most to be in the overripe, rustic style showing too much char from barrel aging and stopped buying.

Drew

[This message has been edited by Drew (edited 04-09-2008).]

[Innkeeper]

We've had better luck with SA whites, in particular Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc (the latter called Steen there).

[Thraz]

WW I think you might just be jealous you did not have online forums or the internet when you had school assignments. I know I am. [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

[TheEngineer]

Schools?? There were schools back then?? [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Everytime someone talks about school, I remember my old Catholic School days and Sister Immaculata......and her strap....I still shiver...

[winoweenie]

After being ejected from the 2 public high schools in Tulsa I think I had the pleasure of your Sister Immacullats' Mother as my homeroom teacher at Holy family. The ruler biz went thru the roof those final 5 months. WW [img]http://wines.com/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

[Drew]

Still got scars that won't heal from Sister Malachie.

Drew