What’s the big deal about wine vintages, anyway?
You know what vintage means when it comes to clothing and interior design, but what does vintage mean when it comes to Italian wine? Here are some quick facts to explain what exactly wine vintage is, so you’ll know just what to order when you visit Basta Pasta.
Wine Vintage 101
A wine vintage is simply the year that the grapes used to make it were harvested. The wine vintage can affect the quality and taste as a result of the weather that the grapevines endured over the course of the growing season. Italian wines, from the Northern Hemisphere, are grown from April to October. Wines grown in the Southern Hemisphere are down from October to April.
If you get a wine that isn’t labeled with a vintage, it is probably a blend of multiple years of wine. Vintage isn’t everything, as many delicious wines are blends of multiple grapes grown over multiple years.
A Good Vintage or a Bad Vintage
Like we said above, the vintage depends on the growing conditions that the grapes experienced over the course of the year. Sunshine is the single biggest determinant of a good vintage or a bad vintage. The more sunshine the grapevines experience, the greater the odds that the grapes will mature properly and ripen deliciously on the vine. If a year is cloudy and rainy, the grapes will not get a chance to fully ripen and will be more prone to rotting and disease. Vintage charts are available that display whether certain types of grapes and certain years have a good vintage or a bad vintage.
When Does Vintage Matter?
The wine vintage doesn’t always matter. When does it matter?
- Wines from variable climates like France, Northern Italy, Northern Spain, Germany, and New Zealand
- When you are collecting wines as a hobby
When doesn’t wine vintage matter?
- Wines from more predictable climates like Central Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Australia, California, and Southern Italy
- Affordable wines from high-production wineries are more reliable and made using various specifications, so they are almost always a high consistent quality
Delicious Italian Wine from Basta Pasta
For over 12 years, Basta Pasta has been providing Marylanders with delicious Italian specials cooked from fresh, delicious, high-quality ingredients. Enjoy a taste of classic Italian food with spectacular pasta dishes, unlimited salad and breadsticks, and sumptuous fine Italian wines. To make a reservation at our Timonium location, contact us online or give us a call at (410) 308-0838. To make a reservation at our Fallston location, contact us online or give us a call at (410) 692-5200. To find out more about our menu, follow us on Facebook and Twitter!