One Simple Measure of a Great Wine

5/31/09 - With fine spring weather upon us and as many of us are out in the wine country to sample the local wine offerings, this seems a good time to share a personal view on assessing wine. While there are a multitude of complex quantifiable, as well as difficult to articulate subjective approaches to assessing the quality of wine (all of which I recommend as they do add to the pleasure of wine), I have found one simple means assessing a great wine: does it entertain you?

Not just in one moment, but in the course of time. And not only in the long years under uncertain conditions, but also in the short, the very short, and the medium timeframes that are the bulk of our experiences with our wines. Does it stand up to the introductory chat, the long engaging conversation over the course of multiple courses? Is the second glass more engaging than the first, revealing more of itself (or has it gone flat, giving but a one note performance)? Does the second sip tell you more because the initial sensory impact was too much to discern the many layers and textures? Like a great movie, are there details and nuances that are revealed with each encounter? And, does it captivate you the same way the second and third time you've tried it over the course of months? Finally, does it evolve and change in complex ways in the timeframe that should be the natural course of transformation for that particular variety in the region and vintage from which it was produced?

Wine is often said to contain many mysteries. The scientific pursuit of wine endeavors to reveal these. The fact that we are always discovering more suggests infinite possibilities and reveals the artistic element (both man and nature) that complements the science in the making of a great wine. There is no end of mystery in a truly fine wine, and that is highly entertaining.