Technology has improved wine quality

Quality in any wine is a function of the potential quality in the grape and the skill of the enologist in converting that grape to wine. The first control of ultimate wine quality starts with analyses of the grapes in the vineyard, where two attributes are of primary importance. To be palatably balanced—that is, not thin or overly alcoholic—the wine must be made from grapes containing the appropriate concentration of natural sugars. Too little sugar results in watery, thin, and unpalatable wines. Too much alcohol results from grapes left on the vine until they are overripe; these wines, perhaps suitable as dessert accompaniments, are simply too alcoholic to be used with meals.