Is there a way to tell a good red wine by just looking at the bottle without trying it?

Question

I have heard from some people that there is a way to tell a good red wine by just looking at the bottle/content. So, how do you know without testing the red wine? Thank you!

Answer 1

Seriously. If it hasn't got a cheap looking label, I rely on the brand name or price. It never fails

Answer 2

For hundreds of years the best producers of wine have earned a reputation for quality. Some of the famous producers became lax in the last century, but reviews and tasting notes of specific wines and vintages are so readily available now that most famous wine estates have gotten their act together.

Wine critics such as Robert Parker have been ruthless with wine estates that were trying to get by on reputation alone, and now you are more likely to get quality in the bottle than at any time in history.

These days, if it is expensive, you can pretty much rest assured that it is good, assuming it has been PROPERLY STORED.

Aside from researching reviews in wine publications such as Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator, there are two ways to test a wine without tasting it.

You can guage the general quality of the red wine compared to other wines from the same grape by the depth of its color. Hold a glass (less than one third full) at an angle over a white background. Look at the edge formed in the top of the glass. If the color is dark, dense and brilliant, it is a sign of quality. However, you cannot use this test to compare wines from different grapes.

The more useful test is to smell it. The more powerful and complex the perfume, the better the wine.

Answer 3

It depends on what you like! The descriptions on the bottle are frequently a code for other flavors, I think. Like "distinctive oak" means that the wine is very dry. Any reference to wood generally means you should drink that wine with a very rare steak.

I'm from Virginia and I've found that if the wine comes from a local winery it's better than stuff I can get from stores. Then again, I prefer whiites to red. Wineries will sometimes explain the sugar content and the relative level of tannins. Tannins are what give you that dry aftertaste and may cause headaches so the less of those (for me) the better.

Answer 4

Yes and no.

Visual examination (assuming the bottle is clear and not green) can yield some data, but nothing really telling.

Of course, looking at the label can tell you all manners of things about that wine, namely what's in it and where it's from, plus posibly the brand or winery and all that stuff, and from such knowledge, you can make a fairly sure guess whether the wine is good before you open the bottle.

Answer 5

the short answer - no

the long answer - you can get a good idea of what a wine taste like by knowing the region or the style and how you ahve liked wines from that region in that style before (like i enjoy temprinillo grapes from the rioja area in spain aged to be a crianza)
also you can look at wine ratings to get a general idea, try wine enthusiast they are free to look at there ratings and have a large selection. also get friends opinions if they have tried it.

But all this is just someone elses thought or more of an educated guess. buying the wine and trying it or going to a taste testing to try wines is the only way to really know.

Answer 6

i want to bypass to a keep that deals with wines. The clerks in many cases recognize their wines and are very efficient. the guy requested me how a lot i become searching at spending. I advised him $35 variety, and that i want a dry, yet no longer too o.ok.. i lately had a bottle of DOMAINE CARNEROS- Pinot Noir- it become scrumptious. i like attempting diverse wines. I drink pink and white. yet extra often than not pink. do not feel embarrassment about no longer understanding the wines. there's a lot of human beings accessible who're more advantageous than prepared to provide a helping hand.

Answer 7

I do not like dry wines so I look for reds that say sweet or semi -sweet. Red Heron is an excellent red that is less than ten dollars a bottle.