{"id":2251,"date":"2022-12-30T19:47:47","date_gmt":"2022-12-30T19:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/powertasting.com\/?p=2251"},"modified":"2022-12-30T19:48:39","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T19:48:39","slug":"evaluating-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/?p=2251","title":{"rendered":"Evaluating Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wine snobs are (in)famous for their adulation of certain vintages.\u00a0 \u201cAhh, the \u201982 Bordeaux\u201d one might croon, while another swoons over 1997 California Cabs.\u00a0 We plead guilty to some of that, because we often try to buy certain favorite wines in years that are reputed to be top-tier or a mill\u00e9sime<\/em>, as the French say.<\/p>\n

However, we have found that many people we know don\u2019t really care about the year a wine was made.\u00a0 There is a certain logic to that way of thinking, especially for those who primarily drink wines from California.\u00a0 The relative equanimity of the climate there, especially compared with wines from areas with more variable weather, such as Burgundy, means that there is less variability in the quality of Californian wines, year over year.<\/p>\n

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Photo courtesy of Vine Pair.<\/em><\/p>\n

That is not to say that there aren\u2019t better and worse years in Napa Valley or Sonoma County, for example.\u00a0 2011 was a stinker, while the following three years were among the best.\u00a0 For the most part, the distinction is only evident in the pricier premium wines.\u00a0 If all you want is something to go with a burger and fries in the backyard, buy a good label and don\u2019t worry about which year it was made.<\/p>\n

But if you are on a wine tasting trip, it may be interesting to try to evaluate vintages.\u00a0 Here are a few tips if you want to try.<\/p>\n