How important is the year of a wine?

 

Consumer questions about the term 'vintage' are quite common.  Because of the way 'vintage wine' is used in reference to Port, many think it denotes some level of quality.  However, in most of the wine world vintage is simply the year posted on the bottle, indicating that all (or most) of the wine was made from grapes harvested in that year. 

 

Vintage can be important in wine selection, especially when talking about regions that have substantially varying climates from year to year.  The climate in Sicily for instance, is very steady from year to year, so vintages are not as important in Sicilian wine as they are in say Tuscany or Piedmont where temperature and rainfall can vary more. 

 

Ionia Atlantic is fortunate to work with small producers who are focused on quality and consistency above all else.  In a 'bad' year, our wine producers cut back on the quantity of wine produced and make the best with what they have. 

 

When a vintage receives a bad rating in the media, that often means discounts for the consumer.  After the press talked about the terrible weather for grape growing in Tuscany in 2002, we had to discount our Brunello di Montalcino so deeply we might as well have been bathing in it.  In reality, our Casisano Colombaio and Marchesato degli Aleramici Brunello 2002 are quite nice right out of the bottle.  They may not have the staying power of a 2001, but they also don't (or shouldn't) cost what a 2001 does either.  For this reason, knowing your vintages can be quite helpful in a restaurant setting.  Print our handy pocket size vintage guide to give you confidence in your Italian wine purchases!

Grapes Unlimited of San Antonio, Texas was founded in 2002 by Velizar Iliev. The company was created with only one goal; to bring the most unique and exotic fine wines from around the globe to the Lone Star State.

Velizar Iliev, a native Bulgarian, began his athletic career in Bulgaria at the age of 7.  Velizar moved to the U.S. in 1991, and by 1997 he was competing as a U.S. pentathlete. He competed for the United States in the Modern Pentathlon at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia and has brought a number of awards from national and international competitions home to San Antonio.  Velizar is a two time World Champion, Pan American Games Champion and two time National Champion.  We think Velizar and Grapes Unlimited will be a World Champion Seller of Italian wine as well!

We are pleased to welcome Texas and Grapes Unlimited to our ever growing list of states. Grapes Unlimited distributes statewide and we can't wait for our Texan friends to find Ionia Atlantic wine on their shelves!