A Tale Of "Vieilles Vignes" (Old Vines)_Part 1 Of...

So if you have not heard of this term (or even if you have), I will break it down for you:

"Vieilles Vignes" (France) literally means- Old Vines. Now here is where the fun begins:

First of all, why would old vines even be indicated on a wine label? Well in principle, older vines tend to yield more concentrated grape bunches, with less berries and less water content per berry at the end of the growing season. And furthermore, older vines have longer roots which have burrowed further down in the soil to obtain nourishment and have even reached into the sub-soil of each particular vineyard. In theory, this would seem to signify that the grapes are being nourished by water that has been exposed to all content that exists in that particular vineyard's geological sub-soil makeup.

So this would typically indicate that wines produced with the specific "VV" designation would exhibit:

- more distinct, concentrated flavors than their "non VV" bottles

- a more complex flavor profile with nuances of the sub-soil content of each particular vineyard...

More to follow... with 2 examples...