Best Wine: The Top Choices Available in the Market
When looking for a new type of wine to try out, it can seem overwhelming with so many options out there. Walking down the aisles of a liquor store, there are tons of different types of wine from all around the world. How can you know which bottle is the best wine? It turns out a few different qualities make a wine the best wine, but no matter what your taste preference is, we've found the best wine options for all taste palettes out there.
We're going to make it easy for you to choose the best wine option by explaining how these lists of best wines are even determined. By the time you've learned about the way wine is made for you to enjoy at home, you're going to feel like an expert. You'll be able to pair your new knowledge about winemaking with your next meal by picking out one of our best wine options.
Product FAQ
1. How Are the Best Wines Determined?
A lot goes into which wines end up tasting the best in the end. The grapes must be grown in the right climate, under the right temperature. They must also be the right species and variety of grape for the type of wine being made and the flavors that are complementing it.
The way the winemaker treats the grapes also matters, from the pruning practices to the way and time in which the grapes are harvested. Finally, while actually making the wine, the oxygen levels and oak of which the barrel is made will have a great influence on the wine, too.
2. Who Determines the Best Wines?
Typically, wine experts (also known as sommeliers) are the most skilled at determining the best wines. Their taste buds pick up on a lot of nuances within the flavors and they know what to look for when tasting a wine out. They usually also know what type of foods would pair well with different types of wine.
3. How Do They Determine the Best Wine?
First, when a sommelier opens a bottle of wine, they pour a glass and examine the smell of the wine. Seeing what the different notes and scents are is all part of the experience, after all! Smell strongly affects taste. Then, they taste test it to see if the wine is balanced. If the tannins, acidity, alcohol, and fruit flavors are all balanced, then the wine is too. After that, the wine taster will swirl the wine in their mouth a little and taste for the flavors.
Whether there are hints of fruit, chocolate, or other flavors, this is how you know how deep the wine really is. And finally, they swallow their sip of wine and see how it finishes. If the taste lingers for a while on your taste buds, you know that it's a good quality wine. On the other hand, if the flavor immediately disappears, it might not be the finest bottle.
4. Where Can You Buy Them?
You can purchase these wines from select stores near you as well as online from different distributors who sell wine and have it delivered.
How We Reviewed
We looked through tons of reviews and best of lists in order to determine the best wine flavors for you to try out. We compared the features (which include the flavors of the wine itself), the pros, cons, and price of each one so that you could have an unbiased look at the best wine options available. At the end, we evaluated our reviews to help determine the absolute best wine on this list, though all of them are stunning choices that are sure to please any taste preferences.
What We Reviewed
Bodegas Dios Baco S.L. NV Riá Pitá Sherry
Le Val 2017 Merlot (Vin de France)
Mezzacorona 2017 Pinot Grigio (Trentino)
Olema Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County, 2016
Samuel Robert Winery Pinot Noir Vintner's Reserve Willamette, 2017
Chateau Garraud Lalande de Pomerol, 2015
MAYACAMAS VINEYARDS CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HERMANN J. WIEMER HJW VINEYARD RIESLING 2016
VIÑA VIK MILLAHUE 2013
KIR-YIANNI ESTATE RAMNISTA 2013
Features
This sherry is named after the onomatopoeia for the sound of castanets clicking during flamenco music. This is why there's a woman playing the castanets on the front of the bottle. This is a sherry, so it's a bit stronger than some wines. It initially smells of chamomile and nutty fruit flavors, and tastes full and fresh in the mouth. With apple and citrus flavors and almond finishing it off, this sherry leaves you fantasizing about doing the flamenco on a distant island.
PROS
CONS
Features
This sherry is named after the onomatopoeia for the sound of castanets clicking during flamenco music. This is why there's a woman playing the castanets on the front of the bottle. This is a sherry, so it's a bit stronger than some wines. It initially smells of chamomile and nutty fruit flavors, and tastes full and fresh in the mouth. With apple and citrus flavors and almond finishing it off, this sherry leaves you fantasizing about doing the flamenco on a distant island.
PROS
CONS
Features
This sherry is named after the onomatopoeia for the sound of castanets clicking during flamenco music. This is why there's a woman playing the castanets on the front of the bottle. This is a sherry, so it's a bit stronger than some wines. It initially smells of chamomile and nutty fruit flavors, and tastes full and fresh in the mouth. With apple and citrus flavors and almond finishing it off, this sherry leaves you fantasizing about doing the flamenco on a distant island.
PROS
CONS
Features
This cabernet sauvignon has proved itself as a go-to for many. Topping some lists of the best wines of 2018, this cabernet has a medium bodied intense flavor of blackberry and cherry. Starting with black currant aromas, the fruity flavor fully develops after having a little bit of time to aerate. With fine tannins, this has a silky finish.
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Features
From Willamette Valley in Oregon, this pinot noir has impressed a lot of people, especially considering its price range. This wine is full of cherry and cinnamon flavors that instantly capture your attention. While refreshing, it's still full of tannins that make this pinot noir stand out for a special occasion.
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Features
This bordeaux blend goes great with any meat dish imaginable. It begins with notes of oak, cherry, plum, and blackberry. The flavor is full of walnut and blackberry flavor with a velvety texture.
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Features
This cabernet sauvignon has orange and floral notes on the nose, with lots of dark berry and cherry flavors, too. There's a light influence to this bright and acidic wine. Herbs, wet wood, licorice, and currant add nuance and layers to this complex drink.
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Features
This American riesling is made with grapes that grow to intensity due to a long growing season cooled down by nearby Seneca Lake. With white peach, lemon, chamomile, and green apple flavors, this riesling is refreshing and crisp for lighter drinking.
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Features
This red blend, created with the intent of becoming the greatest wine from South America, lives up to the winemaker's intentions. It has chocolate, vanilla, dark berry, dried herbs, and floral notes. Firm tannins add to the complexity, which only gets better after aerating. With age, this wine will only become more magnificent.
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Features
This Greek red wine is full of big flavor. It has notes of cherry, strawberry, and rose, along with vanilla from the oak. There's also a hint of leather and smokiness that makes this grow great with meat and gets your mouth watering.
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CONS
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The Verdict
While it's difficult to choose just one best wine from a list full of such amazing contenders, we've decided that the Kir-Yianni Estate Ramnista 2013 was the best choice. It was almost impossible to find any criticisms of this wine, with most agreeing that this Greek red blend shocked them with how amazing it was. It has such complex and deep flavors, from chocolate to berry, and even with hints of smokiness and rose to get your mouth watering.
Though it's not the cheapest bottle, it's still in the affordable range for people to be able to try a bottle for a special occasion. The best part is that you can always buy it and wait until five or ten years down the road to have an even more impressive drink.
Though there are many delicious wines out there, we narrowed it down so that you would be able to choose the best wine for your palate. Whether you want to keep your wine under $10 a bottle or go all out and splurge on a tasty treat, there are best wines for everyone's taste buds and food preferences here on this list. Hopefully, you can find some new bottles, whether red, white, or something in between, to enjoy with loved ones and a good meal.
