On the surface, the difference between vintage and non-vintage wines is simple. Vintage wines are made from grapes harvested during a single growing season, while non-vintage wines can blend a few different harvests. Non-vintage wine, sometimes referred to as stylized wine, is where the winemaker often aims to match the flavour of the wine to be the same as previous years. On the other hand, vintage wines are based on the characteristics of the vineyard and climate. Due to climatic conditions, some years produce wines that are considered better than others.

Finding a bottle’s vintage is relatively straightforward. Simply look for the year printed on the label of the bottle. This tells you when the grapes were grown and the wine produced was made. Wine labels containing the description “single vintage” indicate that the wine was produced exclusively from grapes from a single harvest. Depending on the producing country, that ratio must be comprised of 75% to 95% of same-crop grapes. As long as a producer abides by that percentage, they can label their bottle as vintage.

The vintage is an indication of the quality of the wine. The wine flavours, textures, mouthfeel, aroma and bouquets are fundamentally determined by the weather and climate conditions during its specific growing season. Since vintage tells you what year those grapes were grown, you are provided with an accurate distinction between “good” crop years yielding delicious, balanced wines from “bad” crop years hindered by poor weather.

Non-vintage wines are wines created by blending grapes from multiple crops. As a result, they will not have a year printed on the label or will simply have “N.V.” to denote the fact its contents are not from a single harvest. Non-vintage wine quality will vary, as with vintage wines. Many are raved about for their consistency and cost-consciousness and represent good value for more casual wine drinking.

Which is better? The answer depends on what you are looking for from your drinking experience. There are wonderful single vintages and non-vintages available. Non-vintages will offer more diversity and flexibility, particularly when it comes to blends combining several complementary grape varietals. In contrast, vintages provide the opportunity to discover a specific wine region, a micro-climate and even a winemaker’s bottling skills and expertise in ways non-vintages cannot.

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