What is a wine vintage?
A wine’s vintage is the year in which the grapes are harvested.
- In the northern hemisphere, the whole growing season lies within the vintage year – April to October.
- Wines from the southern hemisphere, however, start their season in one year, around October, and are harvested in the next, sometime between January and May, depending on the country.
- The year of the harvest is the one you will find on the label.
Next rule – if a year appears on a label, a minimum of 85% of the wine must be from that vintage. A winemaker can choose to add up to 15% of another year/years to refresh an old wine – or give some age and complexity to a young one. However, most wines, apart from Champagne and some fortified wines, are from only one vintage.
How winemakers adapt
So, you can see the weather pattern for a region and a vineyard does make a difference to the flavour in your glass. Dedicated and talented growers and winemakers can take action to counteract weather conditions. These might include;
- reducing the number of grape bunches to give more concentration to the ones left behind
- cutting back the vine foliage to expose grapes to more sunshine
- picking earlier for freshness, or picking later for more ripeness
For most wines that are for everyday drinking, however, winemakers use their skills to produce a consistent style. If you’re choosing wines for investment or for cellaring a few years in the hope they will improve, you’ll be more concerned about the vintage and whether the wine has the qualities to age.
Putting vintages to the test
Want the taste the difference a vintage can make to your wine?
Take the same wine from two vintages – say a deliciously ripe 2022 Bordeaux red and one from a more classic year like 2021.
In 2021, temperatures were significantly cooler during the summer, so you’ll find less big bold fruit in clarets from this year and more freshness.
Why not try those two vintages from Château La Clarière in Castillon:
Of course, one has a year’s more age, but the 2022 is bigger, riper and bolder thanks to the weather conditions that year.
