A grapevine can live for many years. In Barossa Valley, some vines are 250 years old—but that’s extremely rare. (There are several claims around the world for “the world’s oldest vine”; Slovenia – 400 years! – Bordeaux, England etc.)
Occasionally, we see individual vines that are 100–120 years old in southern France and Spain.
How long they live depends on factors such as climate, their health, and, importantly, whether the winegrower chooses to keep them despite a lower yield. Champagne, for example, has an average vine age of 34 years, which is considered high for the region, given the declining harvest volumes.
Sometimes producers label their bottles with terms such as vieilles vignes, old vines, alte reben, or viñas viejas as a marker of quality. Until now, each producer has decided for themselves what qualifies as “old.”
However, the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine) recently recommended that a vine should be considered old at the age of 35, and according to INAO, this recommendation will soon become law in France.
To write “old vines” on the label, at least 85% of the vineyard’s vines must be 35 years or older—something I’d wager is already the case for most serious producers. After all, no self-respecting winemaker would call a vine old if it’s under 35.
Whether or not old vines produce better wine, though—that’s another much more complicated story that is not as clear-cut as sometimes presented.
