In what way does the weather influence the identity of the vintage?

Weather makes every harvest unrepeatable, so wine should not be expected to reproduce the standardised flavour of an industrial drink. Sara Vezza instead treats wine as an expression of its land and looks for the effects of temperature through the season, rainfall in millimetres, humidity and season length.

Above-average temperatures, especially between flowering and harvest, generally advance ripening and increase grape sugars, producing more alcohol than cooler years. Sunnier seasons can intensify colour, within the limits of each variety. Stronger day–night temperature differences around veraison amplify aromas and bouquet while contributing elegance and refinement. Particularly successful vintages arise when every aspect of the clusters reaches excellent maturity and harvest can be timed precisely.

Because each variety has different ideal conditions, their convergence is rare and helps make grapes such as Nebbiolo in the Langhe distinctive. Sara prefers finding these differences in the glass and comparing multiple vintages of the same wine to seeking identical characteristics every year.