Guide To Vintage Fine Wine Fine And Good Wine. For Best Wine Advice Use A Specialist Wine Store

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What makes a vintage wine? In a world where vintage cars, vintage Louis Vuitton and vintage Ray Bans sell at a premium, what I know to be true is that the word vintage has only one true meaning when we refer to wine. Allow me to explain, wine viticulture and vinification depend on terroir, this word not only encompasses the type of soil but also environmental factors, such as altitude, water drainage, and position relative to the sun. Therefore, the beauty of wine vintage is that for any given year, the end result can be incredibly good or bad, there is hardly any in-between, especially for regions that must follow specific wine making techniques.

This brings us to the following topic on vintage wine, when does vintage matter? Let me start with what wine lovers term the old world, which refers to the Western European producers, such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal. There are a few important reasons why we call them the old world, one of them being the obvious; these countries have been making wine for a very long time. In the case of France, Burgundy´s first vineyard owner dates back to 910, while the Duke of Lorraine was recorded praising Alsace´s Riesling in 1477; Italy´s Piedmont region has winemaking dating back to the 14th century and in Spain´s Ribera del Duero, viticulture as we know it, begun with migrating Benedictine monks from Cluny (Burgundy, France) in the 12th century.

Italy, France, Spain and Germany among other countries, abide by winemaking laws set by their governments, which restrict winemakers´ practices during viticulture, and vinification that otherwise may help balance the resulting wine. Less restrictive and hence more "modern" practices are more common in European emerging countries (e.g. Bulgaria, Romania) and in the new world wine producing countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Chile and Argentina. Regardless of the producing region, methods of irrigation, pruning, harvesting, natural or malolactic fermentation, both barrel and bottle aging are important elements in producing a vintage wine.

Now, let´s talk about a vintage everyone is raving about this year, the 2007 Southern Rhones. The Southern Rhone one of France´s largest wine producing regions and one that in the best way possible can exemplify the effects of terroir. The region can be a bit confusing as the southern Rhone is comprised of both the northern Rhone and the Southern Rhone.

The Southern Rhone produces the world famous Chateauneuf du Pape, among other well-known wines. Its soil, grape varietals and weather differ greatly from that of the Northern Rhone. Southern´s Rhone soil is comprised of clay, sand, gravel, and limestone, while Northern Rhone soil is mostly granite and slate. Southern Rhone main grape varietals are Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre, Carignan, Cinsault to a lesser extent, in contrast with the Northern Rhone where Syrah and is the main black grape varietal.

In the key 2007 vintage, the Southern Rhone experienced a rain in the beginning of the growing season through half of September, before harvest, leading to higher yields. Some key leading Chateauneuf du Pape producers reduced their yields via pruning which then channeled the vines energy producing an incredible wine. In contrast the 2007 vintage was not so great for the Northern Rhone where a very cool July and August took place followed by three weeks of a cold and usually abrupt and dry wind, often termed Mistral.

I am fully enjoying the 2007 Southern Rhone vintage, by seeking out other appellations aside from the deservedly well-known Chateauneuf du Pape, that are ready to drink now offering aromas of raspberry, crème de cassis, kirsch, licorice, smoke, new saddle leather, roasted meats and lavender. The 2007´s are a rich cashmere in the mouth, exceptionally pure, the palate is so lusciously filled with great fruit and they are long on the finish. One fine example is Clos du Mont Olivet Varene 2007 made by the famous Chateauneuf du Pape makers, the Sabon Brothers. The best part is that in a few years I will enjoy the amazing Chateauneuf Du Pape Curvee Girard 2007, this wine truly represents the vintage with its deep, full-bodied, rich texture, and length, tremendously powerful aromatic profiles of licorice, incense, fig, black cherries, black currant, pepper, and spice.

While I can respect the character of vintage of my husband´s 1991 Porsche, and my very coveted vintage Louis Vuitton bag or those iconic Ray Ban aviators, nothing beats vintage wine, one that I enjoy now and for years to come filling my palate with incredible pleasure.

Nidya Garcia de Roche

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