What the best wines are like

Join a wine club to find the best wines

No two people agree on exactly which are the best wines, nor would anyone expect them to. Still, there are certain general rules. The best wines are complex, balanced and intense, with many different aromas and flavors noticeable without one overwhelming the others. Fruit flavors tend to predominate, but spices, flowers, chocolate, tobacco and even leather, earth and stone are detected. The flavor should linger in the finish as long as possible.

A leading judge of the world’s best wines is The Wine Advocate, a magazine founded by Robert M. Parker Jr. Parker developed a 100-point rating system for wine which is still in use today. But as with books and movies, it’s important to read the whole review to figure out if you’ll like the wine. Wine experts can give you more advice on finding the best wines. The best way to get to talk with them is to join a wine club.

Best wines from a vineyard near St. Helena

Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards in Napa Valley, a 10-minute drive from downtown St. Helena, holds tastings in its barrel caves, where visitors can sample current releases and library wines and learn about the process of making and storing the wine. The Wine Advocate praises their 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon for its “terrific purity, plenty of depth and ripeness, and a full-bodied mouthfeel” and describes the 2010 Cab as “an elegant, finesse-styled effort to enjoy over the next decade.” Join the wine club and order a Cab today.