It is a matter of fact that people do not
worry about vintages while buying wines, unless they are collectors or people
who have exceptional knowledge of wines. For the general public, it really does
not matter and there have been many studies to prove it. Experts have pointed
out that there are good and bad wines but putting the blame on vintage might
not be good.
It is a reality that the climatic and
geo-morphological conditions do play a role in defining the type of wine. But,
most experts believe that while climate might cause the difference, the role of
wine maker is also crucial in creating the wine. To consider only climate as
a parameter for judging wines in terms of good or bad might not be right.
Whether wine has been made by a highly experienced and acclaimed wine maker or
not is actually a more important consideration for that matter.
Certain winemakers can alter the dominance
or pronounced characteristics of climate by manipulations such as adding yeast,
adding enzymes and filtering wines. This nullifies the impact of climate and
deliver same characteristic wines year after year, irrespective of the vintage.
However, there are some other winemakers who would not interfere in the
evolution of wine with time and would allow it to gain the pronounced
characteristics of climate and region. This is reflected in the fruit and the
wine itself.
So, while deciding on whether wine is good
or bad, do not just have a look at the climate or wine region but also the
person behind who is responsible for creating it.
