The rich aroma of red wine can make people more excited. If you want to taste a glass of red wine at this time, you must master the methods and techniques when buying it. So how should you buy red wine? ?The following is the common sense for buying red wine that I have compiled for you. I hope it can help you.

Common sense when purchasing red wine

Read the outer label of the bottle carefully

The label on the wine bottle is used to introduce the wine’s origin, production date, and grade to consumers. , raw materials and other aspects of information. The better the quality of the wine, the more comprehensive and rich the content of the wine label will be. The best way to learn about wine is to collect the labels on the bottles of wine that you have enjoyed. A lot of knowledge can be learned from the labels on the bottles.

The French Mouton Rothschild Manor once collected Picasso's work "Bacana" ***Name of the Bacchus Maid***. It wasn't until Picasso's death that his descendants agreed to use it as a wine label. 1973 was not a good year for grape production. The quality of the wine produced in that year was mediocre, but because Picasso's masterpiece was on the wine label, it was collected. It seems that the charm of the wine label itself is not small.

Origin

The smaller the calibrated area, the better the quality of the wine. For example, if the label only says "French wine" or "Burgundy wine", the quality of this wine is definitely not as good as that of wine with the origin of "MEURSAULT" or "VOLNAY" clearly marked on the label. If a castle or domain is listed on a wine label, this indicates that the wine is of a specific type from a specific winery.

Some labels also indicate "producing area" in smaller fonts. This is also very important and is a major basis for reflecting the quality of the wine. Internationally, the production areas are strictly divided, which also means that The quality of the wine is guaranteed.

Factory date

In foreign countries, wine generally does not have a shelf life. People can completely identify the best drinking period of wine based on experience and knowledge. According to relevant laws, it must be stated on the label. Indicating the shelf life can be regarded as a Chinese characteristic.

Grade

In countries where the wine market is more standardized and mature, there are special legal provisions to mark the grade of wine. If a manor wants to be promoted from one level to a higher level, the audit is as strict as the promotion of a star-rated hotel. The manor will determine whether the quality of the year is outstanding based on the raw material conditions and brewing level of the year, and then grade it. Some wineries directly mark the grade on the wine label, which is clear at a glance; some wineries divide brands according to quality. If no good wine is produced that year, a certain brand will not be produced at all. This is also the reason why some famous wineries want to keep their gold medals. A signature move.

At present, domestic wines are generally divided according to different production areas, and consumers choose according to their personal tastes. There is no strict classification.

Production number

According to relevant foreign laws and regulations, in order to ensure the quality of wines rated at a certain level, the raw materials must be carefully selected, and the production quantity cannot be too much. In order to control the quantity, the production The wine must have a production number listed on the label. Some estates, especially small estates with a small annual output, also have numbers on their wine labels. This is not only the serial number produced by ***, but also an important basis for collection. What's more, some manor owners will personally sign the wine labels to prevent counterfeiting.

Raw materials used

The name of the grape variety used in the wine will be indicated in the center below the wine label or on the label on the back of the wine bottle. According to the production standards of some countries, at least 85% of the grape varieties stated on the wine label must be at least 85%. The best varieties for brewing dry reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc., while dry whites include Chardonnay*** also known as Chardonnay***, Riesling, etc.

The alcohol content and volume will be marked in the lower left or right corner of the wine label. These two points can be seen at a glance. The main contents of the wine labels of each estate are roughly the same. Some have additional small labels on the shoulder or back of the bottle, and some have the name of the estate printed on the cork. In order to highlight cultural traditions, some manors keep the same wine label design, except for different years; some use wine labels with different design styles for different years in order to highlight the characteristics of each year.

Distinguish the sediment

There may be some sediment in the wine.

If the sediment is cork residue, it will not affect drinking; if the sediment is granular and the bottle is turned upside down and the sediment drops rapidly, and the wine is still transparent, it is mostly tartar precipitation, which will not affect drinking; but if the wine is turbid or has some Flocc, should not be purchased.

Observe the color

Dry white wine is mostly yellowish with green color, while dry red wine also comes in various colors such as deep red, ruby ??red, brick red and so on. The color of red wine changes with the storage of red wine. New wine is usually deep red, and the color of the rim of the wine glass becomes lighter and has a light brown color, just like maple leaves in autumn.

The texture of red wine is often described in terms of its viscosity, the most well-known of which is legs, the oily liquid droplets that cling to the rim of the glass. Rough lines reflect the alcohol and glycerin content of the wine and the degree of color extraction. In a red wine made from strong grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon grown in a warm climate, rough lines are a good sign, but in a beautiful red Burgundy, rough lines indicate a winemaking technique that is too heavy and relies too much on added sugar. Dry red wine that is dark and loses its luster should not be purchased.

How to distinguish good vintages from bad vintages

1. Long spring - grape budding period

Bad vintages: cold spring. Frosts for several consecutive days will freeze the new buds to death, directly leading to the extension of the flowering period of the grapes. An excessively long flowering period means that the ripening of the grapes will face a severe test, and the ripeness of the grapes will most likely be uneven.

A good vintage: The spring is long and there is not much rain during the grape flowering period. This ensures that the grains on each bunch of grapes are full, which lays a solid foundation for a high yield of grapes.

2. Dry but not too hot summer - grape ripening period

Poor years: The ideal climate during the grape ripening period is plenty of sunshine and appropriate heat for the grapes to mature. Required. However, when temperatures get too high, the vines stop metabolism and the plants begin to wilt, causing the fruit to dry out.

A good vintage: plenty of sunshine and little rainfall, but the temperature is not too hot, which provides a good guarantee for the complete ripening of the grapes. By September, the grapes were at just the right ripeness.

How to avoid falling into the trap of fake wine

1. Read the wine label clearly: the content of the main label and the back label are consistent, and there is no mixing of multiple languages ??on the main label. At the same time, there must be a Chinese back label. If there is no Chinese back label, you should pay more attention, especially for some famous wines.

2. Corresponding three certificates: Normally imported wines have certificates of origin, customs declarations and health inspection certificates, etc. If there are no corresponding three certificates, there is a higher probability of purchasing fake wine.

3. Choose purchasing channels: Try to choose wine sellers with good reputation and credibility.

4. Don’t be greedy for cheap: Try not to choose the same wine that is ridiculously cheap, because there are often traps in it.

In short, for most consumers, they may not understand French or English, and they may not know how to distinguish authenticity from wine labels and bottle stoppers, but as long as they keep their eyes open, they can choose wisely. Reputable merchants who also require relevant certificates can also say goodbye to fake wine, say goodbye to wasted money, and drink real wine that is beneficial to human health.