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05/01/2010

What is “old vine” wine?

You’ve likely heard the term “old vine” or seen it on a wine label and probably wondered what it means and whether it makes for a better wine.

“Old vine” literally refers to the age of the vines on which the grapes were grown. Typically, vines that have consistently produced grapes for 40 years or more are considered “old vines,” although there are no regulations that state the vines have to be of a certain age to use this term on the label. Grapevines can reach ages above 120 years old, but they are fairly rare. Most producing vineyards in California are between three and 30 years old.

So what’s the difference between wines from young and old vines? Well, the theory is that the older the vines, the deeper and stronger the root system, meaning the vines are able to reach different nutrients in the soil which can impact the flavor of the grapes. Perhaps more importantly, as a vine ages it typically produces less fruit; its effort and energy goes into fewer grape clusters. The plus side? The clusters tend to be very concentrated and offer a level of depth and complexity that, according to some, only older vines can produce.

Whether wine from old vines is better will always be debated, but these knotted, twisted and gnarled grapevines are considered to be battered and weathered soldiers by Californian wine-grape growers. They’ve lived through dozens of cold winters, diseases such as Phylloxera and Pierce’s Disease, and some even made it through Prohibition. And yet, they keep on producing a wonderfully complex and rich grape that embodies the history and tradition of California’s wine-grape growers.

Sources: SignonSanDiego.com, Wikipedia.org, SFGate.com and the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission.

Photos courtesy of Russian River Valley Winegrowers.

Old vines typically have deep and strong roots system and tend to produce wines with more complex flavors.