How to compare two bottles of wine

Quick answer: the fairest way to compare two wines

To compare two bottles, first decide what you are trying to choose between. Is the wine for a weeknight dinner, a celebration, a particular dish or simply an interesting tasting? Your purpose gives the comparison a useful finish line.

Next, check whether the wines are genuinely comparable. A dry still red and a sweet fortified wine can both be good choices, but they should not be judged as though they are the same kind of product. Note each wine’s style, colour, grape variety or blend, producer, region or Geographical Indication (GI), vintage, alcohol level and bottle size.

If you can taste both, create reasonably similar conditions. Use equivalent clean glasses, serve the wines at similar and suitable temperatures, avoid strong smells and heavily flavoured food, and take your time. Taste the lighter or fresher wine before the fuller, sweeter, more tannic or more intense one. This is a useful convention, not an inflexible rule.

Assess each wine in the same order: appearance, aroma and palate. On the palate, consider sweetness, acidity, tannin, body, alcohol warmth, flavour intensity, balance and finish. Then ask which wine better suits your occasion, food, budget and preferences.

A wine can be sound but not to your taste. Another can be enjoyable but unsuitable for the meal. A third may have a condition problem. Those are different conclusions, so avoid reducing everything to “better” or “worse”.

1. Define the decision before reading the labels

Write down a few practical details:

• What is the occasion?
• Is there food?
• What is your budget?
• How many people are drinking?
• Do you prefer a lighter, fuller, drier, sweeter, fresher or softer style?
• Will the wine be consumed now or kept?

This stops the comparison becoming a contest between reputations. The best bottle for a quiet meal may not be the best bottle for a celebration, and the wine you personally enjoy may not be the one that suits every guest.

2. Check whether the bottles are comparable

Make a quick side-by-side record of:

• still, sparkling, fortified or sweet style;
• red, white, rosé or another colour;
• grape variety or blend;
• producer or brand;
• region or GI;
• vintage, if stated;
• alcohol by volume;
• bottle volume;
• closure, where relevant;
• price and serving context.

Australian labels may foreground the grape variety, region, producer, blend or brand. Wine Australia identifies alcohol, volume and standard-drink information as important label details, while variety, vintage and GI claims are regulated when they are made.

A shared grape variety does not make two wines identical. Regional conditions, vintage variation and production choices can all contribute to differences in style. Equally, a famous region or an older vintage is not a guarantee that one bottle will be better for you.

If the wines are very different, change the question. Instead of asking which is universally superior, ask: “Which is more suitable for this occasion?”

3. Make the tasting reasonably fair

You do not need a professional tasting room. You do need to avoid giving one wine an obvious advantage.

Try to:

• use the same or equivalent clean glasses;
• serve both wines at similar, suitable temperatures;
• taste them in the same room and lighting;
• avoid perfume, smoke and strong aromas;
• taste before your palate becomes tired;
• pour modest samples;
• keep water nearby;
• pause between wines.

Glass shape and temperature can influence how a wine seems to smell and taste. Consistency makes the comparison more useful, but there is no single glass or exact temperature that is correct for every still wine.

A practical tasting order is lighter before fuller, lower-intensity before higher-intensity, and drier before sweeter where that makes sense. If the wines are substantially different, simply note that the conditions are not a strict like-for-like test.

4. Look, smell and taste in the same sequence

Appearance

Look for colour, intensity, clarity and brightness. You may also notice apparent viscosity, although visual impressions are easy to overinterpret.

Do not decide which wine is better from colour alone. A darker wine is not automatically richer or higher quality, and a pale wine is not automatically thin.

Aroma

Smell each wine before tasting, then smell it again after gently swirling. Note:

• how strong the aroma seems;
• whether it smells fresh;
• fruit, floral, herbal, spice, oak or savoury characters;
• whether the aroma is simple or more layered;
• whether anything seems concerning.

Use words that mean something to you. “Fresh citrus”, “dark fruit”, “floral”, “herbal” or “smoky” is more useful than searching for a perfect technical description.

Musty or damp-cardboard aromas may suggest cork taint. Bruised-apple, stale or flattened fruit may suggest oxidation. However, some wines are intentionally made in oxidative styles, so an unusual aroma is not automatically a fault.

Palate

Taste each wine and compare the same features:

• Sweetness: the perception of sugar or sweetness. It is not the same as fruitiness.
• Acidity: the fresh, mouth-watering quality.
• Tannin: a drying, grippy or astringent sensation, especially common in red wine.
• Body: how light or full the wine feels.
• Alcohol: can contribute warmth, weight and intensity.
• Flavour intensity: how strongly the flavours present themselves.
• Balance: how the wine’s elements work together.
• Finish: the length and character of the flavour after swallowing or spitting.

There is no requirement for every wine to be full-bodied, powerful or intense. A lighter wine may be exactly right for delicate food or warm weather, while a fuller wine may work better with a richer meal.

5. Keep preference, suitability, value and faults separate

These four questions are useful:

1. Preference: Which wine do I enjoy more?
2. Suitability: Which wine fits the food, occasion and drinkers?
3. Value: Does the experience seem worthwhile at its price and for its intended use?
4. Condition: Does either bottle show a possible fault or storage problem?

“I dislike tannin” does not mean a wine is faulty. A higher price does not prove higher quality. A medal or rating may provide context, but it cannot guarantee that the wine suits your taste or meal. Packaging and prestige can also influence expectations without deciding what is in the glass.

If you suspect a fault, compare the smell and flavour with the other bottle and, where appropriate, ask the retailer or venue for help. Do not confuse an unfamiliar style with a defective wine.

6. Make the final choice proportionate

Finish with a specific question:

Which bottle best fits this purpose, for this drinker, at this price and in this condition?

If both wines are sound and suitable, personal preference is a perfectly valid deciding factor. If the difference is small, choose based on price, availability, food match or curiosity. You do not need to manufacture a dramatic winner.

For sparkling, fortified, sweet or otherwise distinctive wines, adapt the comparison. Their sweetness, texture, acidity, alcohol and serving purpose may matter more than criteria designed for a dry still wine.

A simple comparison template

Frequently asked questions

Is the more expensive wine usually better?

Not automatically. Price can reflect many factors, but it does not prove that a wine will suit your preferences, food or occasion. Compare expected use and enjoyment rather than price alone.

Should I compare wines from the same grape variety?

It can make the comparison easier, but it is not essential. Wines from the same variety can differ by region, vintage and production choices. Very different wines can still be compared for suitability.

Does older mean better?

No. Age can change a wine, but it does not guarantee greater quality or enjoyment. Storage condition and the wine’s intended style also matter.

What should I do if one wine smells strange?

Consider whether the aroma may indicate a condition problem, such as cork taint or oxidation, but remember that some styles intentionally show unusual or oxidative characters. If you are unsure, seek advice from the retailer or venue.

How much should I drink when comparing wines?

Use modest tasting samples, check the standard-drink information on Australian labels and keep track of your intake. Do not drive after drinking. Comparing two wines is not a reason to consume more alcohol.