08/23/06 Vintage

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran on today's program we will discuss what a vintage is and why one vintage might be better than another. The vintage or year that is stated on the wine's label indicates the year that the grapes were harvested. So, every year, is a vintage year. Winemaking begins in the vineyard, and good grapes are essential to the entire process. Since grapes are an agricultural product it takes a favorable growing season to produce quality grapes. However, when the growing season is exceptional it stands to reason that the grapes will be of very high quality, which in turn will hopefully produce wines of exceptional quality and give those vintages better ratings. Basically, that is what all the fuss is about. When a vintage from a particular area is recognized, the wines from that place become sought after and highly prized. Remember that just because it was a good vintage in Washington or Idaho doesn't mean that it was a good vintage in Italy or Chile. The only way you can find out about the region that you are interested would be to read wine publications or ask your local wine retailer if they have a vintage chart. These charts will give the consensus as to how a region has rated from vintage to vintage. This doesn't always translate to higher prices. There are wineries that keep their wines in the same price range and just pass the vintage value on to their customers. Ask the advice of your wine merchant they are up to date and can point out good values. For this recipe visit our website at vine to wine dot net - And thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.