Defining That Which Comprises 'Refined Taste'

When we come to decorate our homes, or choose a place to eat, or decide upon a purchase, good taste is needed. This is especially true when choosing luxurious items that have value, as being able to define exactly what holds value and what doesn't is the key to making wise purchasing decisions. For instance, the line between deciding between two products, between understanding two crafts, between a Buick Encore and a standard 4x4, between knowing exactly what to spend on is quite thin, and if we avoid applying a discerning eye, it can be easy for us to be parted from our money without much return. Taking this somewhat abstract concept and make it practical, consider some ways that you can properly understand how refined taste is comprised, what it means, and how its universal implications can help you spend money more wisely while also knowing how to identify good and wholesome investments.

Pedigree

The pedigree of a brand or a product line involves craftsmanship, reputation, artisanal design, and real care. It means taking standards to the highest point. This comes from the history of a given thing, meaning that understanding exactly why a business has prospered for so long can help you understand it. This might involve appreciating oak-barrelled whisky left to age for decades, or it may mean appreciating the artistic craft of a local carpenter, someone who has successfully ran a business in your area for decades. Pedigree is craft lengthened over an amount of time, and researching it can help you understand more about the process.

Craft

A craft is a discipline and process heavily refined until near-perfection is achieved, but never quite completed. Appreciating craft can help you more easily opt for purchases that stand the test of time and make use of excellent design as standard while using essential principles to enhance the process that much more. For example, craft can be found in the excellent design efforts a local architect may use in helping us curate a home extension or in designing a piece of customized furniture for our garden. Appreciating craft helps you know exactly what disciplines and principles you'd like to support.

Being Present

You can talk about the finest scotch whiskey until you're blue in the face, but it's hard to truly define its worth until you run it over your palate and taste it from a freshly uncorked bottle. In that sense, having the presence of mind to appreciate and look at a certain product holistically rather than analytically can help you understand what taste means and the kind of value it helps extract out of a product. Being present also keeps you open to new experiences. After all, you could be the most eloquent food writer in the world, but without a good palate, you'll always come up short.

With this insight, we hope the conversation can continue surrounding that which defines great taste. Perhaps this can help you identify items of worth in your own daily life.