Cool Facts About Old Vines

There's an interest in, and maybe even a passion for, wines labeled as old vine. In California it's mostly old vine Zinfandel though you occasionally see other old vine wines. I suppose the interest comes from the same idea of people interested in redwood trees that have been around for so long -- they've survived fires, wars, and pandemics.

 Define old vines

Like the word reserve on a wine label old vines has no legal definition. Some will say the vines should be at least 50 years old, maybe 75 or even 100 years. Some call anything over 100 years old ancient vines. For me, if they're not head pruned they aren't old vines though many would disagree. Having the characteristics of an old vine wine should be important to everyone.

There are very old vines in different parts of the world and then there are old commercially producing vineyards. In these old vineyards some of the vines have died out and been replanted along the way.

Gnarly, twisted old vines in Sonoma Valley

How old vines are different

When these very old vineyards were planted viticulture was different. There were no modern trellis wire systems giving the grape bunches equal sun and allowing breezes to come through. Grapes bunches are low and harder to pick on head pruned vines.

Less obvious might be the spacing of the vines and the varieties planted. At one time field blending was popular meaning what might be considered an old vine zinfandel vineyard actually contains other varieties, too -- maybe Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Alicante Bouschet. So when they picked and processed they had a red blend dependent on what was in the vineyard. With modern blends they are usually taking wines from different places and blending.

Also not so obvious is that the vines whether Zinfandel or another variety are not the same as modern vines. The rootstock is different. Plus the vines are different as there have been natural genetic mutations over the generations of grape vines.

As vines age their grape production falls dropping the tons per acres of grapes received at a winery and this is why the price for an old vine wine is usually higher.

From the 1860s, Grandpere Vineyards, Amador County

How old vine wine is different

With the smaller crop and smaller berries from older vines you should get more concentrated, more intense wine. You could say these wines, especially when young, aren't for the timid. In my experience they do tend to age well. I believe that's because they tend to have more tannins and these wines always seem balanced. It's as though the mature vines know how to grow wine with none of the youthful mistakes.

So are these wines actually better? That's going to be strictly subjective. If you tend to drink wines within a short time of purchase and are counting pennies then maybe don't go this way. Of course, if you drink much wine at all then your curiosity will eventually get the best of you.