When are certain vintages "released"?

[Innkeeper]

Not to worry Leslie, we're here to help. Release is determined by wine type, region, and it some cases, by individual producers.

You don't state why you need this information. So will try to answer for you. When I walk into a wine store, the only thing about release dates I'm interested in is: are any of these too old? This primarily involves whites and Nouveau Beaujolais.

You will generally see white wine in the store a year or two after harvest. An exception is the Southern Hemisphere. In the second half of a given year, you will see current year vintage from the SH. You can buy '01 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc right now. This is because they harvest six months before we do.

Reds generally are released two or three years after harvest. Reserve wines (they have no legal or formal definition) come out a year or two after the regular bottlings. For example reserve '97 cabs are being released now. Certain wines, usually those requiring further aging, are released much later. For example Brunello di Montalcino is released five or six years after harvest.

If you regularly visit your favorite wine store, or on-line wine stores, you will soon get the hang of it. As another rule of thumb. When you hear that a wine has been released, such as here on Board, or in a newletter or magazine; you can plan on it arriving in MA six to eight months later.