vintage wine

Meaning

This term refers to wine made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. It is often associated with high quality, aging potential, and collectibility, though technically 'vintage' simply refers to the harvest year. The tone is sophisticated and appreciative.

Examples

• They opened a bottle of vintage wine to celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

  They opened a bottle of vintage wine to celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

• The restaurant boasts an impressive cellar filled with rare vintage wines.

  The restaurant boasts an impressive cellar filled with rare vintage wines.

• A true vintage wine will showcase the unique weather conditions of its harvest year.

  A true vintage wine will showcase the unique weather conditions of its harvest year.

• He has invested thousands of dollars in collecting high-end vintage wines.

  He has invested thousands of dollars in collecting high-end vintage wines.

• This vintage wine has aged beautifully over the last decade.

  This vintage wine has aged beautifully over the last decade.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I love drinking old vintage wine.

  ✓ I love drinking vintage wine.

  'Vintage' doesn't automatically mean 'old' or 'ancient.' A vintage wine can be young. Saying 'old vintage wine' is often redundant or slightly misinformed unless specifically referring to its age.

• ✗ This is a very vintage wine.

  ✓ This is an exceptional vintage wine.

  'Vintage' is a noun used as an adjective here, but it doesn't take intensifiers like 'very' in the sense of 'high-quality.' Use 'exceptional' or 'high-quality vintage wine' instead.

Related Expressions

Practice

• He keeps his most valuable ___ in a temperature-controlled cellar.

  💡 Wine labeled with a specific year of harvest.

  Show answer

  vintage wine

• We toasted our success with a glass of rare ___ from Bordeaux.

  💡 A high-quality wine from a single harvest year.

  Show answer

  vintage wine