Karin Leeuwenhoek is a theologian, vinologist and communications scholar. She has ninety Italian olive trees, but mostly loves wine - and philosophising about it. See also her wine blog vinoblogy.co.uk She writes a column in each edition of Winelife Magazine.
2025 was a good vintage year for most of the world's wine regions. Even exceptionally good for some areas, such as in South Africa, New Zealand and parts of Europe. For example, the Champagne and... the Netherlands. So what actually makes a vintage good? Or even top?
For starters, it has to be warm enough during the growing and ripening season for the grape plant's processes to work optimally. This means that spring and especially summer are somewhat warmer than average. Besides warmth, sufficient sunlight on the foliage is needed for photosynthesis: the conversion of CO2, water and light into oxygen and sugars. There should also always be just enough moisture for the plants. Certainly not too much, because moisture also increases the risk of fungi and other diseases and it ‘dilutes’ the grapes. It helps if the soil can store precipitation in winter and early spring, so that the roots can draw from it in a relatively dry spring and summer. Flowering, in late spring, also requires sufficient warmth and no precipitation or strong winds for the sake of successful fruit setting. The final harvest quantity better not be super high from a quality perspective. Ideally, there should be a good balance between fruit concentration and sufficient quantity.
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