The vintage year for wine refers to the year in which the grapes were harvested to make the wine. The vintage year can have a significant impact on the taste, quality and storability of the wine. Different climatic conditions, such as sunshine, rainfall and temperature during the grape growth cycle, can shape the character of the wine in a particular vintage.
In some years the conditions are ideal and lead to an excellent grape harvest, while in other years the grapes can be of inferior quality due to unfavorable weather conditions such as frost, drought or heavy rain.
Wines with the AOC Valais quality label are labeled with the vintage year to provide buyers and wine connoisseurs with information about the age and origin of the wine. In some cases, a particular vintage can be attributed to a specific wine region or a specific winery for outstanding quality or a particular characteristic.
When buying or tasting a wine, it can be interesting to consider the vintage to get an idea of the expected flavors, structure and ageability of the wine. However, it is important to note that vintage is just one of many variables that can influence the taste and quality of a wine. How differently vintages develop, or how a wine develops in the course of its ageing, is revealed to the wine lover when he or she does a so-called vertical tasting of a wine. During this tasting, different vintages of one and the same wine from one winery are tasted.
