If you’re new to drinking red wine, you might be intimidated by all the different types and labels. So how can you tell a good red wine from a bad one? Here are five easy ways to help you make a good choice next time you’re at the store:
1. Check the color
A good red wine should be a deep, rich color. It will probably not be very good if it looks light or watery.
Sometimes a wine can be a little cloudy, but if it’s really murky, that’s usually a sign that it won’t taste great. Even worse, if you can see sediment at the bottom of the bottle, it’s probably best to avoid it.
Anytime you see a wine that’s been “de-alcoholized” or “dealcoholized,” it’s best to steer clear. These wines have had some alcohol removed, and as a result, they often taste watered down.
2. Give it a sniff
Take a sniff of the wine before you pour it. If it smells fruity and fresh, it’s probably a good wine. But if it smells sour or vinegary, it’s probably not going to taste very good.
The smell should also give clues about the wine’s flavor. If it smells like blackberries, for example, it will likely taste similar. Another good way to tell if a wine is high quality is if it has what’s called a “complex” aroma, which means it has multiple layers of different smells.
3. Look at the label
The label can tell you a lot about a bottle of wine from Booze by the box, including where it’s from, what type of grapes were used, and how it was made.
If you see a wine from a specific region, like “Napa Valley” or “Bordeaux,” that’s usually a good sign. These wines are made in areas with ideal conditions for growing grapes.
If you see a wine that’s made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, for example, that’s also usually a good sign. That means the wine is made with a single type of grape, which often results in a higher quality wine.
4. Check the vintage
The vintage is the year the grapes were harvested. In general, you want to choose a wine that’s from a recent vintage.
For example, if you’re looking at a wine from 2014, that means the grapes were harvested in 2014. wines from more recent vintages tend to be fresher and more flavorful.
People often mistake the vintage for the “year” the wine was made, but that’s the “release date.” The release date is usually about two years after the grapes were harvested.
5. Read the reviews
One of the best ways to tell if a wine is good is to read what other people have said about it. There are lots of great websites and apps that can help you find reviews from experts and other drinkers.
Reading reviews can be especially helpful if you’re looking at a wine from a lesser-known winery. If the wine has good reviews, that’s usually a good sign that it’s worth trying.
Ultimately, you need to sample many red wines to see which ones you like best. However, by following these simple tips, you can be sure that you’re choosing a good red wine more often than not.
