🌿 Vintage
The year the grapes were picked; that year's weather shows in the wine's taste.
Vintage is the year in which the grapes were harvested. It is printed on the label in large numbers. Weather differs from year to year: in a warm year the grapes are riper and sweeter, in a rainy one more acidic and watery. So the wine of one estate differs from year to year.
Wine regions depend on weather differently. In hot places the wines are alike from year to year, while in cool ones, such as Burgundy or Champagne, the difference between years is large. That is why experts follow "good" and "bad" years.
Vintage is tied to the climate of the vineyard: climate decides how the grapes ripen. For long-lived wines the year also matters because it shows how old the wine is.
Not every wine has a vintage. Many sparkling wines, including Champagne, are often blended from several years. This is non-vintage wine, and blending allows the same style year after year.
How it connects to Wine
🌿 Vintage → kind of → 🌿 Viticulture → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Wine label, 🌿 Climate and wine
- Part of
- 🌿 Viticulture
Frequently asked questions
What is the vintage on a label?
It is the year in which the grapes for the wine were harvested. That year's weather affects the taste.
Why does vintage matter?
Because the weather differs each year and the ripeness and taste of the grapes depend on it.
Why do some wines have no year?
They are blended from several harvests to give a consistent style.
What to read next
- 🌿 Climate and wine — A place's usual weather: warmth, rain, sun and winds.
- 🍷 Wine label — The sticker on a bottle: who made it, where from, the year and strength.
Similar
🌿 Pruning shears · 🌿 Sustainable viticulture · 🌿 Sulphur dusting · 🌿 Cutting · 🌿 Canopy (grape) · 🌿 Bordeaux mixture
Sources
- Wikipedia (en): Vintage
- Wikipedia (de): Jahrgang (Wein)
- Wikipedia (fr): Millésime
- Wikipedia (uk): Мілезим
- Wikidata Q1975981