Just because a wine bears a French name, doesn’t mean it was produced in one of this country’s famous wine-producing regions. And, just because a wine is technically made in a certain location doesn’t mean that’s where the grapes in the mix came from.

So, how can a wine lover easily discern where a particular vintage hails from?

There’s a trick to telling that’s found on most labels if a buyer knows what to look for. The “appellation of origin” will tell a great deal more about a wine than the location of the winery where it was produced.

This particular designation actually denotes the place where most of the grapes used in the bottle were grown. So, if a wine is produced in Florida, but its grapes come from the Napa Valley in California, the appellation of origin will likely say California. The appellation of origin can refer to the name of the country, the state, geographic region or even the county where the grapes come from. American regulations call for 75 percent of the grapes in a bottle to be grown in the listed location.

When the appellation of origin is known, it can tell a great deal about the wine in the bottle. This is especially so if information about the vintage is also known. The harvest location and year can help buyers discern such things as:

• The quality of grapes – It is a known fact that certain parts of the world produce better tasting wine grapes than others. A grape harvest from California, for example, is likely to offer higher quality than grapes grown in Georgia.
• The quality of the particular harvest – When the vintage is matched up with the origin of the harvest, serious buyers can look into the quality of that exact year’s grapes from the specific region. Even in the world’s best grape-producing regions there are good years and bad based on weather conditions.

Find out where the grapes in wine come from and a lot of information about the quality of the product becomes available. To do so, just look for the appellation of origin on the bottle.

Serious wine connoisseurs keep up with vintages like weather buffs watch the news. Beginners just developing an appreciation for wine, however, might not see the real value in paying attention to vintage. Many, in fact, wonder if it really matters at all.

The answer is yes and no. Vintage simply refers to the year in which the grapes used in a bottle of wine were harvested from the fields. While this might seem like a meaningless number all in all, it’s not. When the vintage is know, wine enthusiasts can tell a number of things about the product in the bottle without even tasting it. Depending on a buyer’s knowledge of wine and wine producing regions, the number can reveal:

• Information about the aging process – Different types of wines have different periods of time they are expected to age if the flavor is going to be of quality.  A decent Chenin Blanc, for example, might only call for a year of aging, whereas an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon could age for 15 years to reach its full flavor potential.
• Information about the flavor of the grapes – When the origin of the grapes is also known, vintage can tell wine lovers a whole lot about the flavor in the bottle. Certain weather conditions during a particular year’s growing season might produce exceptionally fine tasting wine grapes or even substandard ones. If a buyer follows the quality of weather during certain growing years, the vintage could reveal a great deal.
• Winery specific information – Some wineries have vintages that are of exceptional quality. When a buyer follows information about releases, the vintage on the bottle can mean a lot in regard to specific wineries and their production quality.

While vintage can play a role in telling about the quality of wine in a bottle, wine lovers just starting out don’t need to worry about what “critics” say so much. Go with a wine selection that meets personal taste and the vintage likely won’t matter at all.

Many would-be wine collectors shy away from this rewarding hobby out of fear the costs will run too high. While certain vintages might set a buyer back a bit, wine storage doesn’t have to be a big-ticket concern.

Wine lovers really don’t have to spend thousands of dollars installing specialty made cellars to protect their favorite bottles from the elements. When budgeting matters, there are some exceptional alternatives that cost less than most people realize.

There are a few things to consider when coming up with a budget storage area for wine. First of all, wine should be stored out of direct sunlight. The darker the area, generally the better. Try to avoid large fluctuations in temperature and humidity. The range of temperatures wine should between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

So, what can the budget-minded do to protect their purchases and ensure a good flavor when a bottle is opened?

Here are some wine storage ideas that don’t cost a bundle:

• Counter storage – if only a few bottles will be purchased at any given time, a counter rack can work fairly well.  Make sure the rack allows for bottles to be stored on their sides and that it is kept out of direct sunlight. Ideally, try to place wine racks in the coolest room in a home and preferably one without harsh exposure to the sun during the day. Do keep in mind the temperatures in a home are not likely to fall in the ideal range, but for short-term storage this solution can work quite well.
• Mini-cellars – There are special refrigerators meant to store wine that don’t cost as much as many people think. Some models cost under a few hundred dollars and provide optimum internal conditions for the storage of wine above ground.

Storing wine doesn’t always call for a special cellar and a huge investment. When budgets matter, there are alternatives that work extremely well.