What determines when a wine is released? Like many other components to the wine making process when a wine is released for sale is usually a decision made by the wine maker. A number of considerations are taken into account when deciding the right time for a winery to allow their wines to be available for public scrutiny and sale. The decision making process for releasing wines can vary significantly from winery to winery.
It is important to understand the vintage of a wine which is the date on the bottle indicates the year the grapes were grown. The release date could be anywhere from several months to several years from the vintage date.
Generally whites are released first as they do not require the same aging as reds. One lovely exception to this and there are others of course, is Chardonnay done in the "sur lie" style, left on the sediment for months sometimes years imparting a quality to the wine that can not be rushed!
Reds usually require a more lengthy aging process after fermentation and it is not uncommon for vintages to see several years in the barrel or tank before release. This differs with each variety of grape as well as with the growing conditions unique to each year. Some reds are meant to be drunk younger then others. With so many considerations it is the wine maker who knows the best timing for the release of his wines.
When visiting more commercial, corporate owned wineries you will find the trend is to release wines very quickly. Any aging necessary to improve a wine is yours to do with the wine already in the bottle and now in your cellar. The business rather than the craft of wine making is what dictates the decision to release a wine. Simple economics do not allow for the benefits of giving a wine more time. Space, barrels and time are expensive and most large wineries need to push out one vintage to make room for another. Many do not have the luxury of crafting wines with time as part of the recipe. Cash flow is an issue and wines allowed to take their time to evolve in the barrel mean they are not turning over. Since grapes are harvested every 12 months these wines are also taking up space needed by the new harvest. More often then not, visiting corporate owned wineries will present tasting lists with whites released from the most recent vintage and reds from the last two vintages. It is unusual to find wines available from past vintages and if you do these wines are usually referred to as “library wines” and are accompanied by high price tags.
Spending time in smaller, family owned wineries like those found here in the Umpqua Valley, you will find a different business model. It is not uncommon to find red wines on tasting lists that are from vintages going back four or more years. With the small case lots our wineries produce here I can guarantee you these are not wines that were released several years ago and have not sold! These are wines that have been allowed to take their time to develop and have recently been released. Making the highest quality wines possible is the top consideration to our local wine makers and winery owners and this can take time. Time they are able and willing to invest.
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