The best wine has its lees.
The best wine has its lees.
Meaning in plain English
Something of high quality may still contain an unwanted residue or limitation. Appreciate its strengths while examining the particular imperfection instead of expecting complete purity.
Example
A team values a useful planning tool while recognising that its confusing export format needs a separate check.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The wine is called the best, yet its lees remain part of the comparison. Excellence in one respect does not mean the absence of every drawback. When assessing a useful object, proposal or arrangement, consider both what works well and what needs handling separately. A limitation may be manageable rather than a reason to reject the whole. Equally, praise should not prevent scrutiny. The proverb supplies a quality-and-residue image, not a claim that every defect is minor or that any particular product is beneficial.
When to use it
Use it to acknowledge limitations within something otherwise valuable.
Keep in mind
A serious defect still requires action; calling something excellent does not excuse the harm it causes.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 32; French section, paragraph 644; source wording: Le meilleur vin a sa lie.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗