Sadly, in my experience, the apple variety alone doesn't actually have that much bearing on quality (although a red delicious will always be lacking in the second of it's nominative attributes!).
What I've found is a much better predictor of a good apple is freshness. An appple straight off the tree is going to be excellent, but a local apple in season will be just as good. Find out what the apple seasons are in your location, and just buy the fruit that's fresh.
I've never had much luck buying imported apples from New Zealand or anywhere in the southern hemisphere, and varieties suitable for long storage may look good but won't taste it once they come out of the storage bin. So I now only buy apples for about 7 months of the year, when they're actually good. There are lots of other fruit for the rest of the year, and it's such a treat when they come back in season again.
What I've found is a much better predictor of a good apple is freshness. An appple straight off the tree is going to be excellent, but a local apple in season will be just as good. Find out what the apple seasons are in your location, and just buy the fruit that's fresh.
I've never had much luck buying imported apples from New Zealand or anywhere in the southern hemisphere, and varieties suitable for long storage may look good but won't taste it once they come out of the storage bin. So I now only buy apples for about 7 months of the year, when they're actually good. There are lots of other fruit for the rest of the year, and it's such a treat when they come back in season again.