Why Does Vintage Matter in Wine: Matters
Updated
Why does vintage matter in wine? The vintage signifies the specific year grapes were grown and harvested. That year influences quality, market value, and your decisions on holding or selling. We define a vintage wine. It is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. Its importance is "both varied and disputed,". Even so, a superior vintage from a prestigious producer can "command much higher prices" than an average one. That is especially so if the wine is likely to improve with age. Some regions sit at the colder climatic limits of wine production. There, a poor growing season can result in grapes failing to reach optimal ripeness. That leads to higher acid and lower sugar in the resulting wine, affecting its quality. Understanding vintage helps you assess a wine's potential and navigate market perceptions. It also helps you make informed choices for your cellar.
What does a wine vintage mean?
A wine vintage indicates the year the grapes were harvested. Most countries require a significant portion of the wine to come from that year. The word "vintage" itself was first used in the early 15th century. It was adapted from the Old French "vendange," meaning 'wine harvest,' which derived from the Latin "vindemia" or 'grape-gathering,'.
A vintage wine is made from grapes harvested in a single specified year. The opposite is a nonvintage wine, often labeled 'NV,' which is typically a blend from the produce of two or more years. Winemakers commonly use nonvintage blending to achieve a consistent style year after year.
Regulations for the percentage of same-year content in a vintage-dated wine vary by country:
| Country/Region | Minimum Same-Year Content |
|---|---|
| Chile and South Africa | 75% |
| Australia, New Zealand | 85% |
| European Union | 85% |
| United States | 85% |
| United States (with AVA) | 95% |
The 85% rule in the United States technically applies to imports. Enforcing this regulation can present difficulties.
How does vintage affect wine quality?
Vintage can significantly affect wine quality, particularly in regions with variable climates. Weather conditions during the growing season directly impact grape ripeness and composition. In wine regions at the colder climatic limits of wine production, vintage can be "very important". Some seasons are much warmer. They produce riper grapes and better wine. A poor growing season, conversely, can prevent grapes from reaching optimal ripeness. The resulting grape juice is higher in acid and lower in sugar. That shift affects the quality of the resulting wine.
For wines like Port, vintage can denote quality. Port houses make and declare vintage Port only in their best years. Bordeaux is a region in southwest France with an Atlantic climate. Vintage also plays a role in its wines. Over 5,660 châteaux across 65 appellations produce them.
However, in many New World wine regions, growing seasons are "much more uniform." The systematic and controlled use of irrigation in dry regions also contributes to uniform vintages. Despite this, such wines are regularly labeled by vintage. Consumer demand drives that. The vast majority of wines are produced to be drunk young and fresh. In these cases, vintage is usually considered less important. However, it can protect consumers from buying a wine that would not be expected to improve with age. Such a wine could be past its best. Beaujolais nouveau is one such case. It is a wine style made to be consumed within months of bottling.
Does vintage always predict a wine's quality or value?
No, the importance assigned to vintage is "both varied and disputed," and some experts suggest that modern winemaking technology can produce good wines even in "undistinguished years." New York Times wine columnist Frank J. Prial "declared the vintage chart to be dead," writing that "winemakers of the world have rendered the vintage chart obsolete." Similarly, Bill Marsano wrote that "winemakers now have the technology and skills to make good and even very good wines in undistinguished years." James Laube of Wine Spectator asserted that "even an average vintage can yield some grand wines."
Roman Weil is co-chairman of the Oenonomy Society of the US and a professor at the University of Chicago. He tested the hypothesis that experienced wine drinkers "cannot distinguish in blind tastings the wine of years rated high from those of years rated low, or, if they can, they do not agree with the vintage chart's preferences." Weil used wines ranging from four to 17 years beyond their vintage. His panel was 240 wine drinkers. He found that tasters "could not distinguish between wines of good and bad vintages except for Bordeaux wines." Even when a distinction was made, the match between tasters' individual assessments and the charts' rankings was "little better than tossing a coin." When these tests were replicated with wine experts, including French wine academics, the results were again the same as chance.
Despite these findings, Weil does not consider a vintage chart "useless." He suggests using one to help "find good buys in wine," as wine made in years considered "worse than average" for vintages may be priced "far below its actual quality." This perspective can be valuable when evaluating potential acquisitions for your cellar or considering when to sell. You can explore how specific vintages perform by comparing prices side-by-side. That works for different years, such as Burgundy 2010 and Burgundy 2011.
In Spain, wine regulators publish official classifications of each vintage. Those classifications provide a formal assessment of quality for specific years. This contrasts with the more informal, though influential, vintage charts. A common Bordelais saying, "The best vintage is the vintage we have to sell," highlights the commercial reality that market conditions can also influence perceptions of a vintage.
Top Bordeaux wines are often sold en primeur. Their longevity, relatively large production, and established reputation make them common at wine auctions. Market reports from February 2009 showed that the market had increased in buying power by 128%. Prices for the very best Bordeaux wines had been lowered. You can track these broader trends using our live fine wine market index.
How should you store vintage wines to preserve their quality?
To preserve the quality of vintage wines, store them in insulated and/or temperature-controlled conditions. Those conditions minimize fluctuations in both temperature and humidity. AWRI Technical Note TN09: The effects of heat and light on wine during storage recommends exactly that. This technical note emphasizes that excessive storage temperatures will have a "marked effect on the shelf life of bottled wine."
Specific temperature thresholds and their effects include:
- 30°C: Marais (1986) observed the development of faulty flavors and decreasing overall quality after 12 months of storage at this temperature, according to AWRI Technical Note TN09.
- Over 40°C: Ough (1986) found that temperatures in excess of 40°C will induce visual and sensory changes to a wine in only a matter of days.
- General guideline: Any storage place where the temperature exceeds 25°C for long periods and 40°C for short periods can affect wine quality, Ough (1992) states in AWRI Technical Note TN09.
Amon and Simpson (1986) recommend that bottled wine be stored with the cork in contact with the wine, as cited in AWRI Technical Note TN09. The location should be cool (15-20°C) and dry. Exposure to temperatures "significantly greater than ambient temperature" can lead to leakage of wine. It can also move cork stoppers through thermal expansion. Such physical damage does not necessarily imply that the wine's quality has also been affected. It will "obviously affect the appearance, and therefore the marketability, of the wine," AWRI Technical Note TN09 explains. For more on condition, see our guide to wine ullage levels.
Prolonged storage in a refrigerator "could also adversely affect wine quality," with vibrations from the compressor argued to be detrimental. However, AWRI Technical Note TN09 states that the Institute has been unable to find any literature on this specific subject.
Light is another critical factor. Wines may develop off-flavors upon exposure to light, according to AWRI Technical Note TN09. That is similar to the "deleterious effects" known in beer. Maujean and Seguin (1983) demonstrated that 'lightstruck' flavor, or goûts de lumière, results from the formation of volatile sulfur compounds. Those compounds are believed to derive from sulfur-containing amino acids like methionine and cysteine. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is present in wines. It undergoes photo-activation when exposed to light at wavelengths of 370 nm and 440 nm. That reaction leads to the oxidation of amino acids and the formation of these sulfur compounds.
AWRI Technical Note TN09 describes a study by Dozon and Noble (1989). It exposed still and sparkling white wines, bottled in green glass, to fluorescent lamps. That exposure produced lightstruck flavor. The intensity of this flavor was "statistically significant" after 31.1 hours for still wines and 18 hours for sparkling wines. The same wines stored in clear glass developed a "statistically significant" level of off-flavor after only 3.3 hours for still wines and 3.4 hours for sparkling wines. Sensory assessment indicated a decrease in 'citrus' aromas and an increase in 'cooked cabbage,' 'corn,' 'wet wool/wet dog,' and 'soy/marmite' aromas. These trials involved placing wines 35 cm from two 40 watt fluorescent lamps.
Direct sunlight provides significantly more UV-A radiation than fluorescent lamps. A 36 W fluorescent lamp with an illuminance of 400 lux provides approximately 14 mW/m2 of UV-A radiation. Full sunlight provides 60,000 mW/m2 of UV-A radiation. That means direct sunlight offers 4286 times the amount of UV-A radiation. Gordon Watson gives that figure, cited in AWRI Technical Note TN09. Therefore, exposure of bottled wine to sunlight, such as in retail window displays, is "be more deleterious to wine quality than exposure to electric lighting systems."
Light exposure can also exacerbate copper instability in susceptible white wines. That leads to haze. The Institute has observed cases where bottles stored on the uppermost layer of bins developed haze. Underlying bottles did not. It invariably attributes this to copper instability. AWRI Technical Note TN09 recommends that white wines containing a copper concentration greater than approximately 0.5 mg/L are likely to be susceptible to copper haze. If the level exceeds this arbitrary limit, protection from light will "only delay the inevitable."
To minimize these risks, the careful selection of glass color can help. Rankine (1989) indicates that amber glass is "most effective" in excluding wavelengths below about 450 nm. Institute investigations have identified a "disproportionately high number" of copper instability cases in clear glass bottles, AWRI Technical Note TN09 reports. For comprehensive advice, consult our guide on how to store wine.
Understanding the nuances of each vintage and its potential for aging is crucial for collectors. You may be considering fine wine investment or preparing to sell fine wine. Either way, vintage information helps you make informed decisions.
Compare how different vintages perform in the market with our per-vintage price history.