Two fairly common wine terms are "varietal" and "blend." A varietal wine is one made primarily of one type of grape, like Chardonnay, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir. A blended wine is a combination of different types of wine, designed to enhance certain flavors, rather than a certain grape. Another word that gets thrown around a lot is "vintage," which refers to the year that the grapes were produced. Judging from the location of the winery and the vintage, wine connoisseurs can pinpoint their favorite wines based upon the quality of the harvest that year.

Since 1972, winemakers in the US have been allowed to add up to 5% of one vintage to another vintage wine and still tag it the the year of the latter. Under this standard, a 2004 wine could have up to 5% of 2001 added to it, for example. This standard was increased to 15% a few weeks ago. It was done to "give greater flexibility to domestic winemakers in blending wine to better suit consumer tastes" and the Wine Institute noted that adding older, more mature wines to younger wines would help in "improving taste appeal and quality perception." Countries in the EU, as well as Australia and New Zealand, already have this 15% standard, while countries like Chile and South Africa allow up to 25%.

Some areas in the US, prestigious American Viticultural Areas, will still be using the 95% standard, if they blend with older vintages at all. 

Does this change matter? In truth, it matters more to producers than consumers. The change is, after all, intended to produce "better" wines, though there are those who will say that some of the sharper flavor characteristics will be muted, or lost entirely to blending. Some winemakers say that vintage dating is not longer necessary with modern wines, though it is important for fine, older wines because, before the availability of today's technology, wine production could vary radically from one year to the next. Other winemakers say that the change is unnecessary and will only serve to confuse consumers, who will no longer be sure of what they're buying.

In the end, winemakers will uphold the standards of their products as they see best. It will still be possible to buy wine made from one type of grape, one harvest and one year. You just may have to read the labels a little closer if that is what you're looking for.