It has been a long time since I first wanted to write a vintage guide for the main categories of wine that Italy offers. As wine professionals, we often place too much emphasis on vintage and risk miscommunicating its importance to customers. While vintage undoubtedly impacts the wine’s final taste, it doesn’t tell the whole story. A good bottle is a good bottle, and how it tastes depends as much on your expectations as on the vintage itself. Moreover, a great producer rarely makes a bad bottle, even in challenging years. In fact, I truly enjoy tasting wines from great producers in less favorable vintages; it’s fascinating to see how they interpret the conditions of the year.