Quality versus price

Assessing a wine's quality independently of its price is a core skill. Quality is measured in balance, complexity, typicity for its type and intended drinkability. Price is influenced by many factors unrelated to taste: brand, region, supply and demand, critics' scores and import costs. An expensive wine is not automatically a good wine, and an inexpensive wine can have excellent taste quality for its price segment. The concept of 'overachievers' – wines that deliver more quality than the price suggests – is valuable for the discerning consumer. Train yourself to form the quality judgement first, and treat price as a separate, contextual perspective.