cost
Cost is mostly determined by where you are so we have decided to use a very general pricing system. Exact costs in your area can be found on individual wine pages:
$ less than US$10
$$ between US$10-20
$$$ between US$20-50
$$$$ between US$50-100
$$$$$ over US$101
rating
Members of the-wine-guide can vote on the overall quality of a wine and a wine's rating is an average of the votes. You should view this as a rule of thumb. Like a movie review, you may love one film for certain qualities but someone else watching the exact same film may loth it for the same reasons. If a three star wine has a flavor profile that appeals to you, you should give it a shot. But you may want to give one star wines with many votes a miss.
flavor
Flavor profile of a wine. These are determined by votes, users of the-wine-guide chose what flavors they think are in the wine, the top 5 voted flavors will come out on top
origin
The place where a wine is grown. The place of origin is important because like coffee, a grape varietal will pick up distinct set of flavor characteristics based on the soil or climate of the region it is grown in. In Europe this is called terroir, and it is considered so important it is the foundation of their entire naming system.
varietal(s)
A varietal is the type of grape used to make the wine. Each varietal of grape has its own climate that it likes to grow in and a distinct flavor. The type of grape used to make a wine is largely responsible for how a wine will taste. So a bottle of Cabernet from California will have similar characteristics to a Cab from South Africa.
type
The type of wine. A wine can be red, white, rose, dessert (includes ports and other fortified wines, late harvest, ice wine, and anything else sweet), sparkling (includes Champagne), sparkling rose, sparkling red
body
The 'mouth-feel' of a wine. Can range from light, medium to full-bodied. A full bodied wine would be very rich, heavy and dense in character like a dark earl grey tea or a steak dinner. A light bodied wine would be refreshing like chrysanthemum tea or a salad.
Italy
Italy produces approximately 20% of the world's wines. Although wine is an integral part of Italian life, there s no official classification system, confusing consumers and slowing recognition for the top wines in the country. Nevertheless, Italy has a wide range of climates suitable for a number of grapes, making the choices of wines endless. The most well known Italian wine is Pinot Grigio a dry white and the second Barolo, a red.
France
The most famous place for wine and is the home of the most celebrated varietals in the world. It's regulations on wines are strict and is also the model applied to most other European countries. Appellation Contrôlée and Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure wines are are of the EU's QWOSR (Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region) and are considered to be the highest ranking wines. Vin de pays and Vin de table are considered the EU's table wines.
New Zealand
Considered by many wine critics to produce the world's best Sauvignon Blanc. One critic even compared the experience of having one's first NZ Sauvignon Blanc it to having sex for the first time.
South Africa
The area's history of wine making dates back to the 1600s and at one time the region of Constantia was deemed to produce some of the greatest wines in the world. There is a strong sense of adventure and curiosity among the young winemakers here.
Argentina
The world's sixth biggest wine producer as of 2005. Most famous for the crisp, floral Torrontes white grape varietal and the dark skinned Malbec.
Australia
Considered the most innovative and technologically advanced wine producers of the world. It is recognized for its fresh reds and table whites.
McLaren Vale
Silky Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Famous producers such as Penfolds, Rosemount and d'Arenberg have staked their claims in this region. Smaller, cult producers are also in great quantity.
