Why “non-vintage” scares people—and why it shouldn’t

We were taught to treat the vintage as a badge of honor. Yet great NV/MV wines are not shortcuts; they’re craft. Winemakers stitch together brightness from cooler years and depth from warmer ones, sometimes drawing on a “perpetual reserve” of older wine to keep the house style steady. If you prize balance, texture, and consistency, NV/MV is not a compromise. It’s a strategy.

Non-Vintage red wine

We’ve long accepted NV Champagne and solera-aged sherry. NV red wine? That still raises eyebrows. It shouldn’t. In a warming, swingier climate, the freedom to blend across years lets producers fine-tune tannin, alcohol, and acidity without heavy-handed cellar tricks. It’s also sensible economics: fewer “orphan” lots, less waste, and a reliable bottle for people who simply want something delicious tonight.

California has done this quietly for decades. Marietta “Old Vine Red” (OVR) is the template—Zinfandel-led, labeled by lot number rather than year, and blended from multiple harvests for juicy, table-wine pleasure. Bedrock’s “The Whole Shebang!” embraces the same spirit, pulling from old-vine field blends and multiple vintages to deliver real character at a gentle price. And high up in Napa, Cain NV Cuvée shows the more classical side: a Cabernet-family blend intentionally composed from two (or more) vintages to drink gracefully on release. If you admire Rioja’s tradition of long aging and judicious blending, the logic will feel familiar.

How NV/MV is made (quick refresher)

Reserve wines & perpetual reserves

Most NV wines start with a base vintage, then add portions of reserve wines from previous years. A growing number keep a “perpetual reserve”—topped up annually—so each release carries a thread of older wine for depth and signature character.

Solera (criaderas y solera)

In sherry country, producers fractionally blend across tiers of barrels: tiny amounts are drawn from the oldest tier for bottling and refreshed from the next oldest, and so on. You bottle a continuum, not a calendar year. Many modern sparkling houses borrow this idea in spirit if not in strict method.

Label rules, decoded (and why there’s no year)

EU: A vintage on the label generally requires at least 85% from that year. US: 85% from that year—or 95% if an AVA is named. Purposeful blends that don’t meet those thresholds are labeled NV/MV. Look for edition or cuvée numbers, disgorgement/bottling dates, and notes on base vintage and reserve percentage—these tell a richer story than a lone year ever could.

NV/MV bottles worth seeking (As of 9/5/2025. To be updated & expanded periodically.)

Grower Champagne (character, detail, transparency)

• Jacques Selosse “Substance” — true solera method in Champagne; layered, oxidative-tinged complexity.
• Egly-Ouriet “Brut Tradition” Grand Cru — long lees aging, substantial reserve components, and serious depth.
• Agrapart “7 Crus” Extra Brut — Chardonnay-led, typically a blend of two harvests; mineral, incisive, cellar-worthy.
• Pierre Péters “Cuvée de Réserve” — Côte des Blancs benchmark; a long-running multi-harvest blend of Grand Cru Chardonnay.
• Vilmart “Grand Cellier” — Chardonnay-dominant NV matured in large foudres; vivid, textural, and age-worthy.
• Ulysse Collin (e.g., Les Maillons) — parcel wines often built on a base year with high proportions of reserve wine; powerful and precise.

Grand marques Champagne (icons of the multi-vintage idea)

• Krug “Grande Cuvée” (Édition) — the archetype: 120+ base wines across a decade or more; each release numbered and documented.
• Louis Roederer “Collection” — a climate-savvy shift from a static NV to a numbered MV built on a perpetual reserve.
• Bollinger “Special Cuvée” — Pinot-leaning intensity, deep reserve library, and extended lees aging.
• Charles Heidsieck “Brut Réserve” — famously high reserve-wine content for that toasted brioche signature.
• Laurent-Perrier “Grand Siècle” — prestige MV (three complementary vintages) designed to recreate a “perfect year.”
• As well as most Champagnes one might see at a typical wine shop/grocer (Billecart Salmon, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, etc.) 
  

NV/MV reds (spotlight & stalwarts)

• Cain Cuvée (Napa Valley) — a Cabernet-family blend intentionally composed from multiple vintages for early charm and classical poise.
• Marietta “Old Vine Red” (OVR) — California’s cult NV red table wine; Zinfandel-led, labeled by Lot (multi-harvest).
• Bedrock “The Whole Shebang!” — old-vine field blend character at weeknight pricing; unabashedly multi-vintage.
• Vega Sicilia “Unico Reserva Especial” (Ribera del Duero) — historically revered, multi-vintage blend of top Unico lots; profound, collectible, non-vintage by design.

New-wave NV/MV (sparkling & beyond)

• MV Hammerling “Tilted Mile” (California sparkling) — Pinot Noir + Chardonnay, multi-vineyard, multi-harvest energy with a savory edge.
• Lambrusco (Emilia-Romagna) — many benchmark bottlings are NV; sparkling red with violet, cherry, and a savory snap.
• NV Falcone Annate XIII Red (Paso Robles)
  
• NV Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut
  
• NV Cruse Wine Co. Tradition Sparkling Wine California
• NV Clos du Val Reserve
• Help us out here! Let us know what else

Why we’ll see more great NV/MV—especially in red

• Climate volatility: Blending across years tames heat spikes and preserves freshness without over-correction.
• Flavor: Not every bottle needs to be a vintage snapshot; NV/MV lets wineries pursue deliciousness and house identity.
• Less waste, smarter economics: Fewer orphan lots; more flexibility to release a consistent, fairly priced wine.
• Transparency is rising: Edition numbers, base-vintage notes, and reserve percentages make NV/MV easy to understand—and easier to love.

How to shop & serve

• What to look for: Edition/cuvée numbers, disgorgement/bottling dates, base vintage, reserve-wine %. CAUTION: Many cheap jug wines are NV - watch out for NV wine below the $15 price point.
• Pairings: NV Champagne with brie, sushi, or fried chicken; Fino/Manzanilla with oysters; Amontillado with roast mushrooms; NV reds with pizza, burgers, or a Tuesday roast.

Conclusion: A Wider Lens, A Better Glass

If a great vintage is a dazzling solo, then non-vintage is the ensemble—seasons in conversation, each shoring up the other. In a time when weather is less polite, NV/MV and solera wines feel less like exceptions and more like the future: reliable, expressive, and often more delicious than dogmatic single-year bottlings.

San Diego friends: ready to taste the proof? Visit us or order online—pickup and local delivery available. We’ll match NV/MV bottles to your menu, your mood, and—most importantly—your palate.

FAQs: Non-Vintage & Multi-Vintage Wine

What is non-vintage wine?

Wine blended from two or more harvest years (often called NV or MV). It prioritizes balance, consistency, and house style over a single season’s snapshot.

How is non-vintage wine made?

Most NV wines use a base vintage plus reserve wines from earlier years. Some producers keep a “perpetual reserve,” refreshed annually, to layer maturity over freshness.

NV vs. vintage: what’s the difference?

Vintage wines reflect one harvest year and its quirks. NV blends multiple years to smooth extremes and achieve a consistent profile—especially helpful in volatile climates.

Why are non-vintage wines becoming more common?

Unpredictable weather. Blending across seasons lets winemakers maintain balance, texture, and identity without heavy cellar manipulation.

Are non-vintage wines lower quality?

No. NV is a technique, not a tier. Many top Champagnes and fortified wines are intentionally NV/MV to deliver complexity and reliability.

What does “perpetual reserve” mean?

A living blend of reserve wines that’s topped up each year. Each release contains a thread of older, complex wine that shapes aroma and texture.

What is the solera method?

A fractional-blending system (famous in Sherry) where small amounts of older wine are drawn for bottling and replaced with younger wine, producing a multi-vintage blend with an average age.

Which non-vintage red wines should I try?

Cain Cuvée (Napa), Marietta Old Vine Red, Bedrock “Shebang!”, Saint Cosme Little James’ Basket Press, and the historic Vega Sicilia Reserva Especial (multi-vintage).

Best non-vintage Champagne right now?

Growers: Jacques Selosse “Substance,” Bérêche “Reflet d’Antan,” Egly-Ouriet Brut Grand Cru, Agrapart “7 Crus,” Larmandier-Bernier Latitude/Longitude, Pierre Péters “Cuvée de Réserve.” Grand Marques: Krug Grande Cuvée (Édition/ID), Louis Roederer “Collection,” Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, Bollinger Special Cuvée, Pol Roger Brut Réserve.

How should I serve and store NV wines?

Sparkling 40–45°F; fino/manzanilla 45–50°F; NV reds just below room temp. Store cool and dark; upright for sparkling, on side for still wines with corks.

Can non-vintage wines age?

Many are made to drink on release, but top NV Champagnes, Sherries (VOS/VORS), and select NV reds can evolve beautifully. Ask us for guidance by bottle.

Why isn’t there a year on the label?

By law, a vintage date requires a high percentage from that year. Purposeful multi-vintage blends are labeled NV/MV and often list edition numbers, base vintage, or disgorgement dates instead.

What do “disgorgement date” and “cuvée/edition number” tell me?

They’re transparency cues: when a sparkling wine left the lees, which release you have, and sometimes the base vintage and reserve-wine share.

Where can I buy great non-vintage wine in San Diego?

Right here. Explore our NV/MV Champagne, reds, and solera-aged picks at Harvest Wine Shop (San Diego). We offer in-store help, pickup, and local delivery.