How is the year determined as "good".
2006-08-01 14:03:22 · 5 answers · asked by enjoy_incubus87 3 in Food & Drink ➔ Beer, Wine & Spirits
The year is determined as good based on the growing and ripening conditions prior to harvesting the grapes. The year on the bottle is the year the grapes are harvested - not bottled - because those two dates can vary in months or even years depending on what the wine maker wants to do with the wine.
The other thing to remember is "a good year" does not apply to every wine making region in the world. For example, Europe could have a really rainy summer which waters down the final product while California has a very dry, humid summer meaning instense flavour in the final product. The only way to know what has been a good year is to ask wine experts in the area where the bottle of wine was made whether it is good or not. For example, the grapes from Ontario (Canada) wineries that will be harvested this coming fall and made into red wines, will be great because although we have had rain it has been nicely balanced with a lot of heat and humidity so far this summer. The white wines from the same region might not do so good because of that combination.
2006-08-02 04:12:23 · answer #1 · answered by Patricia D 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Search the internet for wine charts. There is no golden rule to this because wine is produced in so many different arts of the world. Each country/region will have their designated good years.
Most will generalize that even numbered years are good for the northern hemisphere and odd for the southern hemishpere. But do not be fooled by this. There are some years that are exceptions to the rule.
Good years are determined by the weather conditions from the completion of the last harvest until the next harvest itself. The master wine maker will determine the best time to harvest.
Before the harvest, the master wine maker has already tasted the grapes and determined whether it is good or not. Not only that, but he has to taste from each vine and then select the best vines from which their grapes will be turned in quality wines. The rest will just be made into table wines.
If the majority of vineyards from the country/region announces that it will be a good year, then it will be a good year.
Good Luck.
2006-08-01 14:19:58 · answer #2 · answered by protos2222222 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a pocket wine guide. Older doesn't necessarily mean better. A bad year is a bad year.
2006-08-01 14:10:12 · answer #3 · answered by jeandupree 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can get vintage charts at a good wine store.
2006-08-01 20:10:01 · answer #4 · answered by gp4rts 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Old is always better. But you should consider the region it comes from, and the production/crop yielded that year.
2006-08-01 14:08:00 · answer #5 · answered by Lenore 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋