Recognizing a quality wine: a practical guide to choosing the right bottle

How can you recognize a good wine? It’s a question many connoisseurs and enthusiasts ask themselves. In fact, it’s not just a matter of personal taste, but also of knowing how to read the signs that define its quality—both visible and invisible—that tell the story of the terroir, the quality of the grapes, the care taken in the cellar, and respect for nature. Every bottle is a small universe in itself, and learning how to interpret it means appreciating all its nuances. In this guide, we explore which aspects to consider, how to use a true checklist to help guide your choice, and how to distinguish a genuine wine from one that is merely “technically correct.”

What to consider before uncorking: how to choose a good bottle of wine

Even before pouring the wine, choosing the bottle is the first step in mindful tasting. Above all, this concerns the bottle’s appearance, which tells far more than one might expect. First, assess the condition of the bottle itself: the glass should be clean, free of residue, stains, or signs of neglect, and ideally thick and very dark to prevent light from penetrating (transparent bottles are suitable for fresh, young wines).

Another important aspect is the capsule and the cork: both should be intact and fit snugly around the neck, with no signs of oxidation or leakage. Finally, take a look at the bottom of the bottle: the presence of sediment is not necessarily a flaw (especially in unfiltered wines), but it should appear compact and natural, not cloudy or irregular.

It is also essential to read the label carefully, paying particular attention to:

• Appellation and origin: as discussed in our in-depth feature on wine classification, a DOC, DOCG, or IGT designation indicates specific regulations and controls that can be a guarantee of quality.


• Grape variety: knowing which grape is used helps anticipate aromas, body, and aging potential.


• Vintage: it’s not just a number, but an indicator of climatic conditions, ripeness, and potential longevity.


• Producer: a look at the winery’s reputation—vineyard practices, production philosophy, and transparency—can make a real difference.


• Method and yield: selected grapes, low yields per hectare, and careful winemaking are often signs of attention and qualitative potential.

This initial selection doesn’t guarantee everything, but it certainly filters out many mediocre bottles, helping guide you toward more informed and conscious choices.

How to recognize a genuine wine in three steps: sight, smell, taste

When we taste a wine, it’s important to know how to “read” what it offers us: a good wine immediately reveals valuable information.

By sight

• A quality wine is first recognized by its clarity: in the glass it should appear clean and bright, free from haziness or abnormal cloudiness. The presence of sediment is not necessarily a flaw—it can be natural in unfiltered wines or in mature bottles—but it should be consistent with the wine’s style.


• Color tells much about a wine’s history. White wines range from pale straw yellow to deeper golden tones, while reds move from vivid ruby to deeper garnet hues. The shades should be harmonious and proportionate to the wine’s age and structure; excessively dull colors or marked shifts toward brown or orange may indicate oxidation or improper storage. In a good wine, color is never random: it is lively and reflects the grape variety, the production style, and the time the wine has passed through.


• Legs or tears: these are the droplets that run down the glass after swirling the wine and can suggest alcohol content, body, or structure. Generally, the denser, more abundant, and slower they fall, the higher the alcohol and glycerin content—often associated with rich, complex, high-quality wines.

On the nose

• The sense of smell is one of the most refined tools in evaluating a wine. Bringing the glass to the nose, a quality wine reveals itself through a clean, clear, and recognizable aroma, free from unpleasant notes such as mold, cork taint, vinegar-like smells, or pronounced oxidation, which often signal flaws in winemaking or storage.


• A good wine stands out for its aromatic intensity, perceived naturally, and above all for the complexity of its bouquet: successive layers of aromas that may range from fresh and ripe fruit to floral notes, from aromatic herbs to spices, and even subtle mineral or tertiary nuances such as tobacco, leather, or forest floormin more evolved wines.


• Equally essential is coherence with the grape variety, the terroir, and the wine’s age: the aromas should “tell the story” of the grapes they come from and the context in which they were produced. A Sauvignon Blanc, for example, will show fresh, vegetal characteristics, while a young wine is unlikely to display deep tertiary notes typical of long aging. In a well-made wine, every aroma is part of a recognizable and natural balance.

On the palate

• Tasting is the moment when a wine truly reveals its quality. While it remains a personal experience, there are shared parameters that help identify great balance. In a well-crafted wine, freshness (acidity), softness (alcohol and roundness), tannins, and savoriness coexist harmoniously: no single component dominates, but all contribute to a coherent and pleasurable whole.


• What also distinguishes a quality wine is its ability to evolve on the palate. The flavors echo the aromas perceived on the nose, developing naturally and leaving an elegant, persistent impression. This so-called aromatic persistence is one of the clearest indicators: a well-structured wine continues to express itself even after swallowing, with a clean, long, and harmonious finish.


• Finally, there is a sense of completeness. The body of the wine—its density, weight on the palate, and structure—must always be consistent with its style and type. A great wine is recognized because nothing feels out of place: every element is present, measured, and in its proper role, serving the wine’s overall elegance.

What makes a wine truly exceptional

As we have seen, and as we always emphasize, a quality wine is never born by chance. It is the result of a combination of deliberate choices, respect for timing, and a delicate balance between nature and human intervention. It all begins in the vineyard, with a selective harvest carried out when the grapes have reached full aromatic maturity, aided by the best available technology to ensure a rigorous selection of healthy clusters.

In the winery, quality is built through careful and measured winemaking, where every step is guided by the goal of supporting the wine. Temperatures are controlled, the use of wood is calibrated, and time becomes an integral part of the process: aging is, in fact, a conscious act of waiting.

Another key element is limiting yields per hectare, a choice that favors concentration and complexity over quantity. This results in wines that are more structured, deeper, and capable of expressing the territory from which they come. For example, as in the case of Prugnolo Gentile, a local biotype of Sangiovese, which gives rise to our Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, or Sagrantino, which produces masterpieces such as Sagrantino Memoira or Ò di Còlpetrone.

It is precisely here that the most authentic concept of quality comes into play: respect for the terroir. A truly exceptional wine does not aim to imitate, please, or standardize—it expresses the soil in which its roots sink, the climate that nurtures the vineyard season after season, and the winemaking tradition that preserves it.

Ultimately, a “superior” wine is one that maintains a deep coherence between what it promises on the label and what it delivers in the glass.

Why tasting changes everything: the experiences of Tenute del Cerro

Reading a wine, whether in the bottle or in the glass, is an exercise in palate sensitivity and knowledge of wine terminology—but it is only by experiencing the wine in its place of origin that one truly understands it. Walking among the rows of vines, breathing in the scents of the soil, observing the quiet work in the cellar and the barriques allows you to grasp what no label can fully convey.

For this reason, the invitation is to turn curiosity into experience. Participating in guided tastings at the winery and in full sensory wine tasting experiences trains the sense of smell and taste, helps understand the differences between grape varieties and terroirs, and reveals the production style of a winery. The guided tastings offered by our estates are designed to lead each guest on a complete sensory journey: a voyage through aromas, flavors, and landscapes, where every wine is told through the territory that gave it life. From vineyard visits to the cellars and aging rooms, to tastings conducted by professionals, every moment becomes an opportunity to refine the eye, educate the palate, and discover the most authentic meaning of quality. Explore all our experiences on our website!