Italian Wine Regions » Italian Vintage Wine
Characteristics of Vintage Wines
While many wines can readily be bought in a wine shop at affordable prices, there are also many wines that are quite expensive. The most expensive ones are vintage wines.
A vintage wine is made from grapes grown in a single specific year. It is accordingly dated to that particular year. Usually, this suggests that the wine is of fine quality. In another common but incorrect usage, a vintage wine is a term that is applied to wine that is quite old.
In the US, for a wine to be declared and labeled as vintage and labeled with a country of origin or AVA, it must have at least 95% of its volume taken from grapes harvested in that certain year. In Australia and New Zealand, it must contain 85% of grapes harvested in that year. In the absence of an AVA label, the wine must have at least 85% of its volume taken from the grapes harvested within that year. The requirement for vintage wines in Chile and South Africa, however, is 75%.
The flavor of vintage wines is very good. However, it can be improved with age if the wines are properly stored. This is quite true with red wines.
Also, wine collectors, traders and enthusiasts save bottles of good vintage wines for future consumption. This allows the wines to age, giving them a better, sharper flavor.
To ensure the fine quality present in vintage wines, the best quality grapes are harvested and used. The wine-making technique is undertaken with great care. This makes vintage wines more expensive than non-vintage ones. Vintage wines are usually the flagship or leading wine of a wine producer.
Vintage wines are made in a single batch so each bottle of wine will retain the same taste. However, several factors such as a region’s climate can significantly alter the character of the wine. As a result, different vintages from the same vineyard can be varied in flavor and quality.
The counterpart of vintage wines is, of course, non vintage wines. These are blended from the harvest of two or more years. In other words, non-vintage wines are blended from several different vintages. This process allows winemakers to have a consistent style of wine. This also allows wine makers to acquire a good market image and maintain sales even during bad years.
Milos Pesic is and internationally recognized expert on wine, wine making and wine tasting. He runs a highly popular and comprehensive Red Wine and White Wine web site. For more articles and resources on wine making and tasting, wine recipes, wine reviews, vintage wine and much more visit his site at:
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