Vintage wines are made from grapes that were grown in a specific location during a particular year. The bottle will label exactly what year it was grown.

The quality of vintage wines can vary dramatically. Its quality will largely be determined by the weather conditions in the location where the grapes were grown. The weather during the couple of weeks before the grapes were harvested is of particular importance in the resulting quality.

If the weather during the weeks before the harvest is rainy, the grapes will become bloating and possibly dilute the wine. Rainy weather may also cause problems with various fungal diseases, so producers may be forced to harvest the grapes early to prevent these problems.

Vintage wine values can also be affected by the temperature in the region. Warmer temperatures will produces wines with a lower acidity level. Conversely, cooler temperatures will produce wines with a higher acidity level. You should know that acidity will affect the quality of the wine negatively.

Another way to determine the value of wine is to consult a wine chart. One of these charts will tell you the ratings for every year that a specific region produced wine. You can learn all about the vintage's reputation and learn what years the region produced the best types of wines.

By consulting a vintage chart, you may also be able to see how long you should store the wine before drinking it. However, these properties can't be determined immediately for all types of wines. Some varieties can't be assessed for about two years.

If you have a collection of wines, then you may want to know how much it is worth. You can determine this by browsing around on the internet to check estimated values. This is important if you're looking to sell some of the vintage wine bottles in your collection.

One of the better ways to determine the value of your collection is to visit an auction or retailer that specializes in vintage wine sales. Most retailers will give you an estimate at no charge. You need to check around and compare estimates from different people though.

When storing wine bottles, you should store them in a location far away from heat. If you store your wine too close to heat, it may get cooked which will destroy it. If the cork protrudes above the lip of the bottle, it's a sign that the wine is damaged.

As wine ages, a small amount of oxidation is important for breaking down tannins. However, too much oxidation will damage the wine. Make sure that the bottle is corked correctly so air will be kept out. The seal should also be proper.

A high-quality vintage wine can be worth a lot of money. You need to consult a chart to see which years produced the best types of wine from the vintage. If you want to determine the value of your collection, you should consider going to an auction or retailer that specializes in wine sales.