Wines produced in some years are better than others due to climate, harvest and production conditions. Understanding how to read a vintage chart will help you to determine which vintages are right for you, and which you should buy.

Wine is an art, its characteristics varying as much as the strokes of a paint brush. While wine, like art, can be very subjective, there are some general "guidelines" by which wine connoisseurs pass judgement.

What makes a wine not just good, but exceptional? In the best wines, the sweetness of the grapes is balanced with their acidity.

Climate changes, regional or seasonal, affect the taste of the grapes. A good growing season will produce a better tasting grape, and ultimately a better wine. As a result, each year the wine, or vintage, may taste different because the grapes are different.

Wine charts are often divided into sections according to region, sharing both general climatic profile and soil composition. These wines are then ordered according to each year they were produced.

The wine is then given a grade based on its taste, aroma, balance, and other qualities along a point scale. Some charts are based on a 100-point scale, others on a 10-point.

Sometimes the numbers are replaced with symbols that indicate if a wine is ready for consumption, or if it needs to age. There is a wide range of chart styles, be sure to read the key (if provided), but mostly be sure to take advantage of the wealth of information they offer.