A wine’s character and its “3 Vs.”

Allen R. Balik

In real estate it’s “location, location, location” and in the diamond trade it’s the “4 Cs” – color, clarity, cut and carat (weight) – that benchmark quality. But do any yardsticks like these exist when talking about wine?

Recently I was leading a tasting and the question arose: “What defines the vital elements that express the quality of a specific wine?” In a general sense, we discussed terroir (the grape vine’s total environment), winemaking and of course marketing among other topics. But nothing concisely answered the question.

While exploring the subject with the group, my mind wandered back several years to another tasting group and a similar question. At that time, it had suddenly dawned on me that a wine’s quality is a measure of its “3 Vs” – variety, vineyard and vintage.

Is the wine expressive of its varietal character? Is the wine true to its place of origin? Is the wine demonstrative of the vintage? Over the years, and with that epiphany in mind, this concept has remained my core value when thinking of and assessing a wine’s true character and quality.

During a spirited discussion everyone had an opinion but we all agreed on the significance of the 3 Vs and the importance of their order as well. Above all the varietal character of a wine should stand out and is then supported by its vineyard and vintage characteristics.

Each variety has its own personality. This truth has been appreciated and handed down for centuries in the growing and making of fine wine in the traditional manner. A variety’s personality places it as the foundation of the 3 Vs whether it stands on its own (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) or is an important part of a well-crafted blend (e.g. Bordeaux and Southern Rhone).

However, over the last few decades several influential critics and the 100-point scale have popularized an “international” style where modern viticultural and winemaking techniques have masked much of the individual character of many wines. When evaluating wines made in this international style it is often difficult to differentiate a Pinot Noir from a Syrah or a Cabernet from a Merlot. I have always looked first at varietal character to determine overall quality.

Elements of terroir differ greatly from one vineyard to another as well as one growing area (e.g. appellation or AVA) to another. Soil type, drainage, exposure, temperature, elevation etc. each adds its own fingerprint and contributes to the distinctiveness of the wines made from that specific vineyard or growing area. Fine wine growers share an appreciation of their vineyard’s individuality and proudly emphasize it in the production of quality wine.

A Tempranillo from Spain’s Rioja should be identifiable when compared to another from California just as a polished high-altitude Argentine Malbec should differ from the rustic nature shown by the same grape grown in France’s Cahors region. Unfortunately, this is not always the case due to the international style adopted by many of today’s winemakers, but the sense of place continues to be a vital factor in assessing quality and character.

Obviously not all vintages are created the same and this variable may be the most dramatic of the 3 Vs. The same variety grown in the same vineyard and made by the same winemaker can differ greatly from one year to another. This has become even more apparent recently given the wide swings of temperature and rainfall experienced around the globe.

Thankfully, some great wines are always made in lesser vintages and what may have been an excellent vintage in Napa will not necessarily express the same attributes in Sonoma or the Central Coast let alone Europe or the southern hemisphere. Vintage is the one V completely outside the limits of our control and is especially important as it may become the final arbiter of the first two in producing a quality wine.

While I’ve always appreciated the significance of each component (variety, vineyard and vintage) as an integral element in my quality assessment of individual wines, I found it both enlightening and rewarding to simplistically distill the effects of each one down to the 3 Vs. And it also got me thinking about a 4th V – value. But that’s a subject for another time.