Pocket Vintages - your guide to World Wine Vintages

Welcome to Pocket Vintages, specialising in providing vintage information on wines from all over the world.

Vintage charts

Check out the vintages charts here:

France vintages 

Italian vintages 

Spanish vintages 

German vintages

More vintage info coming soon!

Wine Features:

Testing wine in a restaurant

One of the biggest problems one faces is sending back a dodgy bottle of wine in a restaurant. The posher the restaurant, the harder it seems to be, especially if there is a snotty nosed Sommelier hovering over you.

So you need to be confident and understand what it is you are supposed to be doing.

Presentation of the wine
First off, the waiter should show you the label to double check that it is indeed the wine you ordered off the menu.  Beware! Some restaurants will not bother to update their menus and thus a 2000 Medoc that you ordered (an excellent vintage according to PV) may be substituted for a 2001 (good but not as good).  Send it back if you are unhappy or choose something else!

Opening the wine
The waiter should then open the bottle in front of you.  That way, you know you're getting a fresh bottle and not the dregs of the last few departed tables, passed off as your quality bottle of vino.  If the waiter brings the bottle already opened then I would advise getting out of the restaurant, but by that point it is probably too late so you're stuck there.

Smelling the wine
Swirl the wine around the glass and take a deep sniff.  You will be able to tell that the wine is off from the smell alone.  The taste will merely confirm the matter.
If the wine is corked, then it will smell musty and dank, a bit like damp rolled up newspaper.  Some people report a 'foxy' or 'earthy' unpleasant smell.  Technically a 'corked' wine is one that has been spoilt by cork contaminated by "Trichloranisol" (otherwise known as TCA).  To you, the wine will probably just smell 'wrong'.

Tasting the wine
Confirm your suspicions with a tentative sip.  It is highly likely that the wine will taste like the wine you used to buy in your late teens and take to other peoples barbequeues.  In other words, 'very rough'.  Acid is probably the taste you'll be left with.  In this case, don't be afraid to return the bottle and request a new one - any decent restaurant will be more than happy to oblige.

There have been reports in the past that one in ten bottles of wine can be corked so don't be surprised if it happens to you!

How to serve wine

You can add a huge amount of pleasure by ensuring that the wine you have chosen is served correctly.  First thing to consider is temperature.  Whites, reds and regions all benefit from being served at different temperatures (although it is also a matter of taste).

We will shortly be adding a temperature chart, but in the meantime, the basic rule is chill down whites and serve reds at room temperature.

Some wines will benefit from being 'allowed to breathe'.  The more complex the wine, the longer you should allow it to breathe.  A couple of hours will usually do the trick.  Rough red wines often benefit from being left to breathe for a few hours longer (and you can also chill them down to reduce the impact of the tannins).

Decanting wine will also help maximise the flavours in the wine.  Older wines with sediment should always be decanted.  Pour steadily into your chosen decanter until you see the sediment reach the bottle neck and then leave the dregs of the wine in the bottle.  There is nothing worse than getting a mouth full of sediment!

Wine storage

Wine likes to be kept in dark conditions, away from direct sunlight and not bothered.  Constant moving does not do the wine any good - it prefers to be left alone to mature in peace.  It doesn't really matter what temperature you keep the wine, so long it is not very hot or very cold.  Around 16 degrees centrigrade is fine.

It is generally preferable to store wine on its side, since this will stop the corks from drying out (which then let in the air).

And when you are ready to drink your lovely wine, let it stand upright for a couple of hours and then decant it.

Keeping a record of what wine you have purchased, when you purchased it and how much it is worth, will also help for good cellar organisation.  As your collection grows, it is easy to forget what you should be drinking and when. Keeping records helps!

Weekly wine limits - how much do you drink?

Alcohol limits -do you exceed them?

That the recommended weekly alcohol allowance for men is 21 units and for women is just 14 units?

You might know that, but did you know that a typical 75 cl bottle of wine actual contains 9 units?  Many people believe that since you get 6 glasses out of a bottle, that it is only 6 units, but that is not correct.

So drinking half a bottle of wine a day is the equivalent of 31.5 units of alcohol every week, more than twice the recommended allowance for women and way above the male allowance.

It gets worse.  These recommendations are based on a typical alcohol volume of just 12%.  Many New World wines are much higher than this and Old World wines are trending to the heavier than the lighter, since this is historically what the market is drinking.

I wonder whether we will now start to see a shift towards lower alcohol wines, such as some of those produced in Germany, since we all still love to drink so much.

The great tap water debate

Asking for tap water in restaurants may be losing its stigma.  Safe in the knowledge that they are saving money AND being eco-friendly, diners are feeling more confident about choosing tap water over expensive bottled mineral water when they are dining out.

Does this mean that restaurants up and down the country are going to struggle now that they can't rely on heavily marked up water to swell their profits?  I don't think so. In fact, I see it as a great opportunity for UK restaurateurs.  Their colleagues in the USA have been happily serving iced tap water to their customers for years.  Diners in the States expect a glass of iced tap water as soon as they sit down. It is a free aperatif.  Indeed in some restaurants there are specific water staff whose job it is to just top up diners water.

Why do I think restaurants will be better off?  Because matching a glass of iced water with a glass of wine throughout the evening will leave you in fine fettle to drink more wine throughout the evening or to enjoy a post dessert whisky or brandy.  Restaurants have an opportunity to offset that lost £4 water sale with a couple of large 'digestifs' at £6 a pop.  Net result - £8 profit.
So iced tap water should become the norm in all UK restaurants, not just for the benefit of the customers, but also because it may well benefit the restaurants.

One of the biggest problems one faces is sending back a dodgy bottle of wine in a restaurant. The posher the restaurant, the harder it seems to be, especially if there is a snotty nosed Sommelier hovering over you.

So you need to be confident and understand what it is you are supposed to be doing.

Presentation of the wine
First off, the waiter should show you the label to double check that it is indeed the wine you ordered off the menu.  Beware! Some restaurants will not bother to update their menus and thus a 2000 Medoc that you ordered (an excellent vintage according to PV) may be substituted for a 2001 (good but not as good).  Send it back if you are unhappy or choose something else!

Opening the wine
The waiter should then open the bottle in front of you.  That way, you know you're getting a fresh bottle and not the dregs of the last few departed tables, passed off as your quality bottle of vino.  If the waiter brings the bottle already opened then I would advise getting out of the restaurant, but by that point it is probably too late so you're stuck there.

Smelling the wine
Swirl the wine around the glass and take a deep sniff.  You will be able to tell that the wine is off from the smell alone.  The taste will merely confirm the matter.
If the wine is corked, then it will smell musty and dank, a bit like damp rolled up newspaper.  Some people report a 'foxy' or 'earthy' unpleasant smell.  Technically a 'corked' wine is one that has been spoilt by cork contaminated by "Trichloranisol" (otherwise known as TCA).  To you, the wine will probably just smell 'wrong'.

Tasting the wine
Confirm your suspicions with a tentative sip.  It is highly likely that the wine will taste like the wine you used to buy in your late teens and take to other peoples barbequeues.  In other words, 'very rough'.  Acid is probably the taste you'll be left with.  In this case, don't be afraid to return the bottle and request a new one - any decent restaurant will be more than happy to oblige.

There have been reports in the past that one in ten bottles of wine can be corked so don't be surprised if it happens to you!

How to serve wine

You can add a huge amount of pleasure by ensuring that the wine you have chosen is served correctly.  First thing to consider is temperature.  Whites, reds and regions all benefit from being served at different temperatures (although it is also a matter of taste).

We will shortly be adding a temperature chart, but in the meantime, the basic rule is chill down whites and serve reds at room temperature.

Some wines will benefit from being 'allowed to breathe'.  The more complex the wine, the longer you should allow it to breathe.  A couple of hours will usually do the trick.  Rough red wines often benefit from being left to breathe for a few hours longer (and you can also chill them down to reduce the impact of the tannins).

Decanting wine will also help maximise the flavours in the wine.  Older wines with sediment should always be decanted.  Pour steadily into your chosen decanter until you see the sediment reach the bottle neck and then leave the dregs of the wine in the bottle.  There is nothing worse than getting a mouth full of sediment!

Wine storage

Wine likes to be kept in dark conditions, away from direct sunlight and not bothered.  Constant moving does not do the wine any good - it prefers to be left alone to mature in peace.  It doesn't really matter what temperature you keep the wine, so long it is not very hot or very cold.  Around 16 degrees centrigrade is fine.

It is generally preferable to store wine on its side, since this will stop the corks from drying out (which then let in the air).

And when you are ready to drink your lovely wine, let it stand upright for a couple of hours and then decant it.

Keeping a record of what wine you have purchased, when you purchased it and how much it is worth, will also help for good cellar organisation.  As your collection grows, it is easy to forget what you should be drinking and when. Keeping records helps!

Weekly wine limits - how much do you drink?

Alcohol limits -do you exceed them?

That the recommended weekly alcohol allowance for men is 21 units and for women is just 14 units?

You might know that, but did you know that a typical 75 cl bottle of wine actual contains 9 units?  Many people believe that since you get 6 glasses out of a bottle, that it is only 6 units, but that is not correct.

So drinking half a bottle of wine a day is the equivalent of 31.5 units of alcohol every week, more than twice the recommended allowance for women and way above the male allowance.

It gets worse.  These recommendations are based on a typical alcohol volume of just 12%.  Many New World wines are much higher than this and Old World wines are trending to the heavier than the lighter, since this is historically what the market is drinking.

I wonder whether we will now start to see a shift towards lower alcohol wines, such as some of those produced in Germany, since we all still love to drink so much.

The great tap water debate

Asking for tap water in restaurants may be losing its stigma.  Safe in the knowledge that they are saving money AND being eco-friendly, diners are feeling more confident about choosing tap water over expensive bottled mineral water when they are dining out.

Does this mean that restaurants up and down the country are going to struggle now that they can't rely on heavily marked up water to swell their profits?  I don't think so. In fact, I see it as a great opportunity for UK restaurateurs.  Their colleagues in the USA have been happily serving iced tap water to their customers for years.  Diners in the States expect a glass of iced tap water as soon as they sit down. It is a free aperatif.  Indeed in some restaurants there are specific water staff whose job it is to just top up diners water.

Why do I think restaurants will be better off?  Because matching a glass of iced water with a glass of wine throughout the evening will leave you in fine fettle to drink more wine throughout the evening or to enjoy a post dessert whisky or brandy.  Restaurants have an opportunity to offset that lost £4 water sale with a couple of large 'digestifs' at £6 a pop.  Net result - £8 profit.
So iced tap water should become the norm in all UK restaurants, not just for the benefit of the customers, but also because it may well benefit the restaurants.

You can add a huge amount of pleasure by ensuring that the wine you have chosen is served correctly.  First thing to consider is temperature.  Whites, reds and regions all benefit from being served at different temperatures (although it is also a matter of taste).

We will shortly be adding a temperature chart, but in the meantime, the basic rule is chill down whites and serve reds at room temperature.

Some wines will benefit from being 'allowed to breathe'.  The more complex the wine, the longer you should allow it to breathe.  A couple of hours will usually do the trick.  Rough red wines often benefit from being left to breathe for a few hours longer (and you can also chill them down to reduce the impact of the tannins).

Decanting wine will also help maximise the flavours in the wine.  Older wines with sediment should always be decanted.  Pour steadily into your chosen decanter until you see the sediment reach the bottle neck and then leave the dregs of the wine in the bottle.  There is nothing worse than getting a mouth full of sediment!

Wine storage

Wine likes to be kept in dark conditions, away from direct sunlight and not bothered.  Constant moving does not do the wine any good - it prefers to be left alone to mature in peace.  It doesn't really matter what temperature you keep the wine, so long it is not very hot or very cold.  Around 16 degrees centrigrade is fine.

It is generally preferable to store wine on its side, since this will stop the corks from drying out (which then let in the air).

And when you are ready to drink your lovely wine, let it stand upright for a couple of hours and then decant it.

Keeping a record of what wine you have purchased, when you purchased it and how much it is worth, will also help for good cellar organisation.  As your collection grows, it is easy to forget what you should be drinking and when. Keeping records helps!

Weekly wine limits - how much do you drink?

Alcohol limits -do you exceed them?

That the recommended weekly alcohol allowance for men is 21 units and for women is just 14 units?

You might know that, but did you know that a typical 75 cl bottle of wine actual contains 9 units?  Many people believe that since you get 6 glasses out of a bottle, that it is only 6 units, but that is not correct.

So drinking half a bottle of wine a day is the equivalent of 31.5 units of alcohol every week, more than twice the recommended allowance for women and way above the male allowance.

It gets worse.  These recommendations are based on a typical alcohol volume of just 12%.  Many New World wines are much higher than this and Old World wines are trending to the heavier than the lighter, since this is historically what the market is drinking.

I wonder whether we will now start to see a shift towards lower alcohol wines, such as some of those produced in Germany, since we all still love to drink so much.

The great tap water debate

Asking for tap water in restaurants may be losing its stigma.  Safe in the knowledge that they are saving money AND being eco-friendly, diners are feeling more confident about choosing tap water over expensive bottled mineral water when they are dining out.

Does this mean that restaurants up and down the country are going to struggle now that they can't rely on heavily marked up water to swell their profits?  I don't think so. In fact, I see it as a great opportunity for UK restaurateurs.  Their colleagues in the USA have been happily serving iced tap water to their customers for years.  Diners in the States expect a glass of iced tap water as soon as they sit down. It is a free aperatif.  Indeed in some restaurants there are specific water staff whose job it is to just top up diners water.

Why do I think restaurants will be better off?  Because matching a glass of iced water with a glass of wine throughout the evening will leave you in fine fettle to drink more wine throughout the evening or to enjoy a post dessert whisky or brandy.  Restaurants have an opportunity to offset that lost £4 water sale with a couple of large 'digestifs' at £6 a pop.  Net result - £8 profit.
So iced tap water should become the norm in all UK restaurants, not just for the benefit of the customers, but also because it may well benefit the restaurants.

Alcohol limits -do you exceed them?

That the recommended weekly alcohol allowance for men is 21 units and for women is just 14 units?

You might know that, but did you know that a typical 75 cl bottle of wine actual contains 9 units?  Many people believe that since you get 6 glasses out of a bottle, that it is only 6 units, but that is not correct.

So drinking half a bottle of wine a day is the equivalent of 31.5 units of alcohol every week, more than twice the recommended allowance for women and way above the male allowance.

It gets worse.  These recommendations are based on a typical alcohol volume of just 12%.  Many New World wines are much higher than this and Old World wines are trending to the heavier than the lighter, since this is historically what the market is drinking.

I wonder whether we will now start to see a shift towards lower alcohol wines, such as some of those produced in Germany, since we all still love to drink so much.

The great tap water debate

Asking for tap water in restaurants may be losing its stigma.  Safe in the knowledge that they are saving money AND being eco-friendly, diners are feeling more confident about choosing tap water over expensive bottled mineral water when they are dining out.

Does this mean that restaurants up and down the country are going to struggle now that they can't rely on heavily marked up water to swell their profits?  I don't think so. In fact, I see it as a great opportunity for UK restaurateurs.  Their colleagues in the USA have been happily serving iced tap water to their customers for years.  Diners in the States expect a glass of iced tap water as soon as they sit down. It is a free aperatif.  Indeed in some restaurants there are specific water staff whose job it is to just top up diners water.

Why do I think restaurants will be better off?  Because matching a glass of iced water with a glass of wine throughout the evening will leave you in fine fettle to drink more wine throughout the evening or to enjoy a post dessert whisky or brandy.  Restaurants have an opportunity to offset that lost £4 water sale with a couple of large 'digestifs' at £6 a pop.  Net result - £8 profit.
So iced tap water should become the norm in all UK restaurants, not just for the benefit of the customers, but also because it may well benefit the restaurants.