A wine’s vintage is the year in which the grapes were harvested. It is not the year the wine was bottled or released. This distinction matters because wine is an agricultural product before it is a drink. The weather, harvest conditions and decisions made in the vineyard during that particular year can all shape what ends up in the glass. Vintage does not automatically mean old, rare or superior. A 2020 wine is not necessarily better than a 2023 wine, and an older bottle is not always more desirable. In fact, most wine sold today is made to be drunk…