Argentina Australia Austria Chile France Germany Italy New Zealand Portugal South Africa Spain United States Vintage Grid Back to 1961 Vintage charts summarize the quality and character of the wines from a particular region in a specific year. They are by necessity general in nature, but can help consumers make good choices when faced with unfamiliar wines. They also help collectors determine when their wines will be drinking well. Each year, Wine Spectator editors rate new vintages for more than 50 regions and varieties around the world and provide updates on older vintages based on tastings and analyses of as many as hundreds of wines from each region. Each vintage rating consists of three components: The score indicates the general quality of the wines; the description sums up the growing season and the wines' character; the drink recommendation suggests when the wines will be at their best. Learn more about our charts here. The guidelines we follow for our blind tastings, our tasters and their beats, and our 100-point scale.

Video: Inside Our Tasting Department Tim Fish • James Laube • Kim Marcus • Thomas Matthews • James Molesworth • Alison Napjus • Bruce Sanderson • Harvey Steiman • MaryAnn Worobiec • Gillian SciarettaArgentina South Australia Austria Chile Alsace Bordeaux - red Bordeaux - sweet Bordeaux - white Burgundy - red Burgundy - white Champagne Languedoc-Roussillon Loire Valley Northern Rhône Southern Rhône Germany Piedmont Tuscany New Zealand Port and the Douro South Africa Catalunya Rioja and Ribera del Duero England Northern California We've received your email address, and soon you will start getting exclusive offers and news from Wine Enthusiast. Now you'll be the first to hear about: Exclusive discount offers on wine accessories and storage Food and cocktail recipes Wine event invitations...and more! 2015 Vintage Chart and Wine Guide Is the wine you’d like to see a rating of not among the more than 140,000 reviews located in our Buying Guide?

Check our latest vintage chart to get an idea of what to expect. Although our expert reviewers base these ratings and maturity estimates on their vast tasting experience and interviews with local winemakers, we can’t guarantee every wine will live up or down to the broad generalizations the ratings on the vintage chart represent—in the world of wine, there are exceptions to every rule. Maturity estimates assume proper storage conditions over the life of the wine; the rule of caveat emptor applies. See the easy, interactive 2015 Vintage Chart and Wine Guide You can also download the infographic version of the 2015 Vintage Chart Here’s a peek at the great older vintages: Pomerol/Saint-Émilion: 1989, 1985, 1982, 1978, 1970, 1964, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1949, 1947, 1945 Médoc: 1986, 1982, 1978, 1970, 1966, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1949, 1947, 1945 Graves: 1982, 1978, 1970, 1964, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1949, 1947, 1945 Sauternes: 1988, 1986, 1983, 1976, 1975, 1967

Red Burgundy: 1985, 1978, 1976, 1971, 1969, 1959, 1952, 1949, 1947, 1945 White Burgundy: 1986, 1983, 1982, 1978 Northern Rhône: 1985, 1983, 1978, 1970, 1961 Southern Rhône: 1985, 1983, 1981, 1978, 1967 Loire: 1985, 1978, 1976, 1971,1969, 1959, 1947guide to wine grapes Alsace: 1985, 1983, 1975guide to wine grapes jancis robinson Champagne: 1985, 1982, 1979, 1971, 1964lg smart wine gsmarena Piedmont: 1989, 1985, 1982, 1978, 1971lg smart wine h410 amazon Veneto: 1983, 1979, 1976, 1974, 1971, 1970lg smart wine manual

Tuscany: 1985, 1982, 1978, 1971 Catalonia: 1985, 1983, 1982, 1981 Rioja: 1985, 1982, 1981, 1970, 1968, 1964 Ribera del Duero: 1985, 1983, 1982, 1980, 1979, 1970, 1968, 1962 Mosel-Saar-Ruwer/Rheingau: 1983, 1976, 1975, 1971, 1959 Port: 1985, 1983, 1977, 1970, 1966, 1963, 1955, 1948, 1945lg smart wine dual sim California Cabernet: 1987, 1984, 1978, 1974, 1968lg wine smart h410 Oregon Pinot Noir: 1983, 1980lg smart wine telepolis Washington Reds: 1987, 1983, 1979, 1978lg smart wine bedienungsanleitung Vintage Chart, Wine Trends and Newslg wine smart where to buy

The Definitive 2017 Wine Vintage Chart Even with a database of 200,000+ expertly reviewed bottles, the wine world is so vast it’s impossible to individually review each and every wine released in a given year, which is why we present our annual vintage chart, an in-depth reference guide detailing regions, varieties and years, and which ones to look out for the next time you’re eying a new bottle.lg smart wine singapore Click to download 2017’s handy, at-a-glance guide to 25 years of wine.lg smart wine sim A wine vintage is the year in which the grapes were harvested. new age wine denverA wine’s vintage can greatly affect the taste and quality, primarily because of the weather that affects the vines throughout the growing season.new age wine pairing

In the Northern Hemisphere (North America and Europe) the grape growing season is from about April to October. In the Southern Hemisphere (Argentina, New Zealand, etc) the growing season is from October to April (and vintage-dated with the later year).best wine bar jacksonville Wines without a vintage date: Non-vintage wine is made by blending multiple years together. best wine bars 10023Non-vintage wines are known for their consistent, house style and are usually a good value. best wine bar leedsFor example, a common non-vintage wine is Champagne labeled simply as “N.V.”best wine bar bordeaux What Defines a Good or a Bad Vintage?the best wine bars in portland oregon

If vintage just reflects a region’s weather patterns in a given year, then what makes a vintage good or bad? Essentially, the defining feature of a vintage is sunshine. Sunny days give grapes the best chance of reaching full maturity and optimum ripeness levels. best wine bar orange countyIf a region receives too much rain and clouds, grapes do not fully ripen, may be more prone to rot and disease, and tend to deliver lower quality grapes. best wine bar orlandoConversely, if the region is too hot (too many days above 92 ºF / 33 ºC) and sunny, then grapes become raisinated before they fully ripen and the resulting wines may be flabby or have bitter tannins.best wine bar richmond Was It a Good Vintage?best wine bar rochester

You can look at vintage charts to see expert’s opinions on vintages. Keep in mind that if it was a good vintage in one region, it might not be one in another. Also, great vintage for red wines may not be as good for white wines from the same region. best wine bar venice caHere are a couple of good vintage charts that cover most of the world’s wine regions:best wine bar venice beach Berry Bros & Ruddbest wine bar upper west side How Weather Affects A Vintagebest wine bar union square san francisco You can figure out if a vintage was good or bad yourself by identifying key features about the weather in a vintage.best wine bar uptown dallas

Spring: Spring frosts are common in semi-continental climates (like Burgundy and New York) and destroy crops before they even flower. Hail storms can break off flowers and buds, reducing the vintage’s size sometimes by 100%. These features do not necessarily reduce quality unless they greatly reduce the length of the growing season.best wine bar miami Summer: Wet weather during the summer (like in Virginia and Germany) causes fungal diseases which will ruin grapes. best wine bar kuala lumpurConversely, drought and exceptionally hot weather (like in California or Argentina) causes the vines to pause their growth until cooler weather returns. the best wine bar in parisThese features can reduce quality in the grapes.best wine bar philadelphia

Fall: Rain at harvest swells grapes, causing them to lose concentration or rot. Cold weather slows grapes from ripening. Harvest time foul weather can greatly reduce the quality of a vintage. By the way, different types of grapes prefer different types of climates. best wine bar foodFor example, Riesling grows well in sunny areas with cool nights. best wine bar napaCabernet Sauvignon, on the other hand, needs a dry, hot and sunny climate to properly mature.best wine bar nyc 2014 Hail storms ravaged the 2016 vintage in Beaujolais, France. best wine bar sydney When Vintage Matters Morebest wine bar soho

Vintage year plays the biggest role in regions with the most variable climates. For example, many of Europe’s more northern winegrowing regions (France, Germany, Northern Italy) have some of the least predictable weather. Here’s where you should pay attention to vintage:best wine bar st louis Wines From Intermediate Climates: Less predictable growing regions include France (e.g. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne) Northern Italy (Piedmont, Veneto, Lombardy, etc) Northern Spain, (Rioja, Rias Baixas) Germany, New Zealand, parts of Chile and Austria.best wine bar angel When Collecting Wines: When collectors buy wines, vintage matters. best wine bar bratislavaGood vintages produce grapes that are well-ripened, carry considerable tannin and acidity (both function as a savvy vinous preservative). best wine bar bucharest

High-end reds from the likes of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Piedmont, Spain, Australia, California, and South America from good vintages have the best opportunities to get better with age and, in this case, specific vintage years hold some serious weight. For white wines, vintage factors into the aging potential for many of Burgundy’s best whites and Germany’s top Rieslings.best wine bar cambridge ma When Vintage Matters Lessbest wine bar clapham As important as vintage is for some regions and wines, it’s not as important in others:best wine bar cincinnati Wines From Predictable Climates: Regions with consistent, sunny, grape-growing weather conditions show the least amount of vintage variation year in and year out. best wine bar columbus circle

Wines from many warm weather regions including Central Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Australia, California and Southern Italy, tend to produce wines with a more consistent style year in and out. Affordable Wines From Large Producers: With commercial producers, wines are made by the numbers. best wine bar des moinesLevels of alcohol, pH, total acidity, residual sugar, among other specs are carefully managed/manipulated to minimize vintage variation as much as possible. best wine bar downtown portlandWines from larger producers are generally consistent year after year.best wine bar downtown seattle Why To Buy Affordable Wine on Good Vintagesbest wine bar financial district

Savvy consumers know where to look for the best wine deals. A good vintage is a great time to buy value wine because good grapes coming into the cellar mean less work (and less expertise) is needed from the winemaking. Case in point, red wines from Sicily and Sardinia from 2014 offer tremendous value from this stellar Italian vintage. best wine bar greenwichKeep in mind that while one vintage may spell disaster for a region’s red wine crop, the cooler temperatures may raise the bar on regional whites by compensating for crisp acidity and vibrant palate profiles.best wine bar gracia Last Word: Expert Weigh Inbest wine bar hanoi Considerable debate swirls as to who exerts more influence over a given bottle of wine. best wine bar harvard square

Is it the vintage or the vintner? In days gone by, wines were at the ruthless mercy of Mother Nature. However, in today’s tech-driven cellars the winemaker has plenty of trendy tools available to combat and compensate for less than stellar weather cycles. best wine bar luxembourgFrom introducing specific strains of yeast to shake up aromatics or sculpt palate texture, to utilizing reverse osmosis to tame elevated alcohol levels and additives that adjust color components, the winemaker’s tool belt is brimming with tips and tricks.best wine bar marais paris At both extremes, producers are blasted for over manipulating a wine when it tells little of a particular growing season’s story. best wine bar moscowLikewise, allowing a wine to reveal just how challenging a vintage was without cellar intervention brings considerable criticism as well.best wine bar mountain view