Finding High-Quality Wool

As a layperson, how can you tell if wool is of good quality?

Hello, pure new wool is high quality. It is shorn directly from the living animal. The cuticle layer and the wool grease are preserved. It retains all the beneficial properties of wool (warmth, moisture absorption, etc.)
The term “wool” does not necessarily indicate good quality.
Here, waste material is shredded and spun again. The outermost cuticle layer of the fiber is damaged, similar to what happens when human hair is not cared for properly (it becomes matted). The beneficial properties of the wool are lost.
Best regards
Serap

Hi.... First, I have to agree with the first answer, and second, to add to that... it’s not that easy to answer. You can tell a lot just by touching the wool in the store... though it’s a bit harder for laypeople; you develop a feel for it over time. One tip for beginners, though, is the smell. Good wool doesn’t smell—or at least doesn’t smell unpleasant. If it smells like chemicals, stay away.

In some stores, you can also test the wool—just ask. 

How or where can you learn more about this? At a specialist shop, for example?

Really good specialist shops will surely show you and explain more there.