Customer Appreciation

Elizabeth Fontanetti from San Jose, Ca ordered a whole case of Campus Oaks 2009 White Zinfandel as a gift for her husband for their 30th Wedding Anniversary. She really appreciated the fact that we enclosed a personalized note and extra information on all of our wines, which she had not tasted. She was ecstatic and grateful at how fast the wine got to her and how thoughtful the winery was with her order.

Old Vine

Old Vine is a term one can find on bottles of wine but what does it mean? Is the wine better? What exactly does "old vine" signify and how is it different?

Old vine refers to the age of the vines that the grapes are grown on. For a vine to be considered "old vine" it must have produced grapes for at least 40 years. In California grape vines can produce usable wine grapes for up to 150 years, but vines that old are rare. In California most vineyards are between three and 30 years old.

Old vine wines are considered to be better than normal wines because the older vines are stronger and grow deeper, reaching different nutrients which impact the flavor of the grapes and in turn, the flavor of the wine. Also since the vine is older it typically produces less fruit, therefore its effort, energy and nutrients go into fewer grape clusters. This causes the clusters to be much more concentrated and offer a level of depth and complexity that you can't get from a younger vine. The older fruit creates a more nuanced and interesting wine.

The old vines produce less so there is less supply for the already high demand, which may cause the wine to cost more. When compared to a young vine wine, the old vine tends to smell more refined. It has a less in your face nose, the alcohol smell is not so much there. The palette is the same as the nose for an old vine wine. It feels smoother and more delicate in your mouth.

In conclusion anyone can see from reading that old vine wines are better than young vine wines. They are more flavorful, refined and complex; creating a wine reminiscent of the Old World that can be enjoyed for years to come.