What Does "vintage" Wine Actually Mean?

The term vintage tells us the year when it refers to wine

, in addition to to other things. Even so, does it denote the year the grapes are harvested? It could be that it means the year the wine is bottled? Or is it the year that the bottles of wine appeared on the marketplace? For those who are just delving into the amazing world of wine, the answer is this: vintage means the year that the grapes are harvested. The definition doesn't stop there, though.

In Bordeaux, France, the U.s., and Canada, the only way that the year can be imprinted on the label is that 95 per-cent of the wine comes from grapes harvested in that year. If there is no vintage or year printed on the bottle label, then the wine was made from grapes gathered over the course of several years.

Now the concern is, "Does the vintage of a wine actually matter?" For wine aficionados, the answer is a definite yes. Most of the more costly wines, such as the higher end wines from the Bordeaux region are cellared for several years-- often decades. The wine enthusiast will verify when the wine has aged to its peak potential. For instance, as a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot age, the level of acidity and tannins will soften and bring the whole flavor profile into harmony. When this takes place, the "peak" of the wine has been attained and it is time to savour a glass. If you wait too long to drink it, then the structure and essence of the wine will deteriorate.

For the cheaper wines, the view from most wineries is that these wines are consumed quickly and therefore will not be sitting a cellar for years. Having said that, if you were to put an inexpensive bottle of Merlot in a cellar for a wine, the flavor could be more well-balanced. Using an aerator for wine will help give you a great glass of wine that might not be as expensive as some others, too. It helps infuse the oxygen with the wine, which will bring to light the complete taste profile of your beloved red or white . Think about using a wine aerator as opposed to putting your low-cost wines in a cellar.

Vintage matters to folks that would rather have a particular kind of wine, too. For example, you may like the "88 Pomerol." Knowing that little bit of info lets you learn more info about your favorites, including whether it ought to be put in the cellar or enjoyed right now. Additionally, you can learn how long it needs to go in the wine cellar, if needed .

For those that are seriously in to the history of a bottle of wine, the vintage can easily tell you enough to learn what the weather was like that year. Was it really hot with little precipitation ? Was disease a problem that year? These are questions whose answers can influence the taste of what might have been a fantastic bottle of wine. It's these moments that learning the vintage of a bottle of wine is vital.

Copyright (c) 2012 Patricia Lanford

by: Patricia Lanford

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