What Does "Bin" Refer To in Lindemans Wines?

[quijote]

OK, maybe the answer is obvious....perhaps Bin #65 and other such designations refer to actual bins in which the wine is stored?

But while I was looking at the Lindemans website, "Bin" is listed as an option under wine regions (or some such category).

So does "Bin" refer to a place--a wine-growing region--in Australia? Or is a bin just a bin here?

[Innkeeper]

Not positive about the "b" in bin, but it is something like "basement or box identification number. It is used on wine lists in restaurants so that when customers order by bin number a. they and the waitperson don't have to pronounce the name of the wine, and b. so that the waitperson can go straight to where the wine is stored.

Lindemans just moves this concept to the name of their first line of wines, as it is a term that wine drinkers are familiar with. That's my theory anyway.

[joeyz6]

That's funny, I always thought it referred to the batch of wine that was made, as in a bin of wine!

[Innkeeper]

That is a "lot", as in Marietta Old Vine Red Lot#30.

[ShortWiner]

Speaking of which, I loved the Lot #30 I had a couple months ago, but now a friendly wine merchant from the store where it was purchased, a guy I trust, says that the remainder of their bottles went bad. Something to do with fizzing. His advise was to be careful when buying this lot. Anyone else seen/heard/tasted anything along these lines? Disappointing if true.

[zenda2]

An answer to this question came up on another forum:

Many Australian wines, like Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz, Wyndham Estates Bin 555 Shiraz and Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay, come labeled with this unusual numbering system, prompting wine lovers to wonder whether there's some kind of hidden system to it all. Can you determine the style or nature of the wine in the bottle by learning the system?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. As it turns out, the Australian "bin" system reflects nothing more than the traditional way that bottled wine was stored in wineries before being sold. The winery's top Cabernet went into one bin; its affordable Cab into another; the Shiraz over there, and the Chardonnay down there. Each bin was assigned a number, but it was strictly an arbitrary system for keeping track of the wine, different with each winery and no two alike.

So if you love Penfolds Bin 389, you'll know to watch for each year's release. If you enjoy Wyndham's Bin 555 (a tasty and affordable Shiraz), you know what to expect when you buy a bottle. But there's no use trying to interpret the numbers, because there's no code there to crack.