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Vintages
A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily,
grown in a single specified year, and are accordingly dated as such. In the United States for a wine to be vintage dated (and labeled with a
country of origin or AVA, such as "Napa Valley" or "New Zealand") it must contain at least 95% of its volume from wines harvested in that
year. If a wine is not labeled with a country of origin or AVA, such as "Napa County", it must contain at least 85% of its volume from wines
harvested in that year. Many wines, particularly good quality red table wines, can improve in flavor with age if properly stored. Consequently,
it is not uncommon for wine enthusiasts and traders to save bottles of an especially good vintage wine for future consumption. Most countries
allow a vintage wine to include a portion of wine that is not from the labeled vintage. Recent research suggests vintage year may not be as
significant to wine quality as currently thought.
Non-vintage wines, however, can be blended from a number of vintages
for consistency, a process which allows wine makers to keep a reliable market image and also maintain sales even in bad vintage years.
Vintage wines are generally bottled in a single batch so that each and
every bottle will have a similar taste. Climatic factors can have a dramatic impact on the character of a wine to the extent that different
vintages from the same vineyard can vary dramatically in flavor and quality. Thus, vintage wines are produced to be individually
characteristic of the vintage and to serve as the flagship wines of the producer. Superior vintages, from reputable producers and regions, will
often fetch much higher prices than their average vintages. Some vintage wines are only made in better-than-average years.
Article Source: Wikipedia
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Wines