Old Vines
Definition - What does Old Vines mean?
Old Vines is the name given to classify vines which have a minimum of 35 years of age. Older vines produce better fruit with less yield. In France, the official name for Old Vines is Vieilles Vignes. Wine produced with fruit from old vines have the potential to make intense and complex wines.
WineFrog explains Old Vines
Old Vine(s) is sometimes found on some wine labels to indicate that the fruit used to make the wine was more than 35 years old. However, this minimum can vary depending on the wine region and even the varietal. Some argue that the title can be give to vines starting at 25 years of age.
Grape vines can live past 120 years old. There are some located in Argentina over 150 years old, but the oldest known living vine is located in the South Tyrol region of northeast Italy, with an age of 350-years.
The benefit of keeping vines this long for some wineries means less maintenance. Pruning and supporting trellis systems are needed less, but also the upkeep of pruning and thinning grape production is also minimized. Because of the vine's age, less fruit is produced and it is of higher quality.
Wines from Old Vines can be found in California, Australia, England, Argentina, Chile and in parts of Eastern Europe.
