Vintage Is Everything When It Comes to Wine

Margaret Pearman is a certified sommelier under the Court of Master Sommeliers and curates the award-winning wine list at Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte. Here are her sipping suggestions for October:

Vintage Is Everything

When choosing a wine, many factors matter: grape variety, where it’s grown and who made it. Yet one detail often carries the most weight: vintage. It simply refers to the year the grapes were harvested, but it gives a wine its fingerprint. Each season tells a story. Sunshine, rain, heat and cool snaps all leave their mark. A warm, dry summer can yield bold flavors, while a cooler year might create wines that are lighter, more structured and higher in acidity. Either way, vintage bottles the character of that year.

A skilled winemaker can coax beauty from a tricky harvest, but at the lower end, additives are sometimes used to force consistency at the expense of personality. Standout vintages often earn reputations for depth and complexity, drawing both collectors and casual drinkers. Not every wine is meant to age. Some shine young, while others reward patience, so knowing when to pull the cork is part of the fun.

Remembering vintages can feel daunting, but charts and wine apps make it easy. Better still, think of vintage as an invitation to taste the season. Every sip offers not just flavor but also a glimpse into the weather, soil and choices that shaped it.

Current recommendations

A few standouts worth hunting down right now:

1. 2018 Bordeaux from the Left Bank (think Margaux and Pauillac): Excellent value and drinking beautifully. 2018 Château Giscours Margaux

2. 2016 Barolo and Barbaresco from Piedmont, Italy: Big, structured reds with serious character.
2016 Pio Cesare Barolo

3. 2022: Shaping up as an across-the-board great year for many regions, so it’s worth exploring as these bottles hit shelves. 2022 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Blanc