Vintage

From ArticleWorld

In wine making, Vintage is the process of picking the grapes and creating the final product. With this usage, a vintage wine is one made entirely from grapes grown in a single year. A common, though incorrect, usage applies the term to any wine that is perceived to be old, or of a particularly high quality. In a less formal context, the term vintage might be used to denote the year or period of origin. For example a car may be said to be of 1942 vintage. In this context, it can be positive or negative, meaning classic and of lasting appeal, or meaning outdated.

Wine making

A vintage wine is one made entirely from grapes grown in a single year. Most countries do allow a vintage wine to include a portion of wine that is not from the labeled year. In the United States the requirement is 95%. Australia, New Zealand, and the member states of the European Union require 85 percent same-year content for vintage-dated wine. In Chile and South Africa the requirement is only 75 percent. Wines made from two or more years crops are considered nonvintage.

Informal

When using the term in this context, it can be positive or negative, meaning classic and of lasting appeal, or meaning outdated. Many use the term vintage to imply that something is superior. In other situations it may be used to imply that something has become obsolete.