The reality behind the term “Old Vine” is that there is no absolute definition. When you see a bottle of wine with the words “Old Vines” on it, it’s meant to suggest more about the vineyard than the contents of the bottle. The grapes that went into this wine are special because this vineyard is living history. This vineyard is older than you or me, in some cases it’s older than your parents, and in very special cases it’s older than your Great Grandparents.
It takes anywhere between 5 – 7 years before a grape vine is mature enough to utilize the fruit it produces for wine. Before that it is simply too young, and the vines yields would be too low to produce a good harvest. It is around the time a vine turns 20 years old that its grape production begins to decline and it starts to put greater effort into the quality and concentration of the fruit rather than the number of grapes it is producing. You could probably understand why, at this point in a vines life cycle, some farmers would choose to pull the vine and replant something a bit younger. If my only goal is to produce as many grapes as I can from year to year, because I’m being paid by the ton, then that leaves no room for a parcel in my vineyard that is under producing. Far too often, it is for economic reasons that viticultural history is lost. The oldest living grape producing vine in the world is located in Maribor, in Slovenia. It is over 400 years old and produces Žametovka grapes. This ancient vine produces between 35 and 55 kilograms of grapes each harvest, and makes about 100 miniature bottles of wine. In the United States, there are vineyards in California that were planted by immigrants in the late 1800’s. Zinfandel, Carignan and Petite Sirah produced from these vineyards are deep and concentrated in a way that cannot be reproduced from the same grape varietals produced from younger vines. Winemakers pay top dollar for these grapes with the understanding that being able to include Bedrock Vineyard, Fredericks Vineyard, Hayne Vineyard, or Ueberroth Vineyard on your wine label (all of which were planted in the 1800’s) is very special. The largest concentration of white grape producing old vines in the world is located in the Swartland, in South Africa. This is due to South Africa’s focus on making brandy and growing grapes for distillation in the early 1900’s, until people lost interest and the vineyards were forgotten. Chenin Blanc, Colombard and Sémillon are grown in old bush vines and make wine of amazing concentration and personality that simply cannot be found anywhere else in the world. With International focus now returning to the region, it is an incredible opportunity for South Africa to demonstrate what can be done when white grape vines are given the opportunity to grow old.
When you see a bottle of wine on the shelf at your local wine shop with the phrase “Old Vine” on the label, understand that it doesn’t necessarily affect the flavor of the wine. There is no definable characteristic that could make you pick out an old vine wine from a young one. It’s about romance, and it’s about history. Good winemakers can make good wine from vineyards anywhere in the world, but preserving history and tradition for the next generation of winemakers is a greater pursuit. Keep the old vines alive!