Mason Delacroix
The vintage of an alcoholic drink is the year in which the grapes it contains were grown and harvested. The importance of vintage is disputed, with some arguing that winemakers can now produce good wines in undistinguished years. However, the vintage of a wine is still often associated with its quality, especially in the case of Port wine. Wines from 1981 vary in quality, with Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Loire, Alsace, and the Rhône Valley producing good vintages, while Sauternes and Champagne did not fare so well. In Italy, the 1981 vintage produced a large crop of consistent wines, with Tuscany and Piedmont now at their maturity peak. A rare vintage from 1981 is the Malmsey Madeira from Blandy's, which offers a rich, sweet, and complex drinking experience.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Vintage | Circa 1981 |
| Wine Quality | Ranged in quality, with many regions producing excellent wines, but few stood out as truly exceptional |
| Wine Regions | Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Loire, Alsace, and Rhône Valley enjoyed good years; Sauternes, Champagne, and Burgundy were lackluster; Tuscany excelled; Piedmont suffered a bad year; Spain, Germany, and Austria had good years; Port and Tokaj produced nice wines |
| Wine Recommendations | Chateau Branaire Ducru 1981 St Julien, Amiral Beychevelle from Chateau Beychevelle, Colheita port from Kopke |
| Cocktails | Piña Colada, Amaretto Sour, Alabama Slammer, Fluffy Duck, Fuzzy Navel, Sex on the Beach, Buck's Fizz |
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What You'll Learn
Wine styles and quality
When it comes to wine styles and quality, the term "vintage" is key. Vintage wine is typically understood as wine made from grapes that were all or mostly grown and harvested in a single specified year. The term is derived from the Old French "vendange," meaning "wine harvest," and it first appeared in the early 15th century.
The importance of vintage in wine can be both varied and disputed. In regions with colder climates for wine production, vintage is crucial. Warmer seasons will produce riper grapes and better wine. Conversely, a poor growing season can result in grapes that fail to reach optimal ripeness, leading to higher-acid and lower-sugar grape juice, negatively impacting the wine's quality.
While some wines are produced to be drunk young and fresh, where the vintage is less important, others rely on vintage to denote quality and the potential for improvement with age. For example, Port wine is declared vintage in its best years, and wines from regions like Chile and South Africa must contain at least 75% same-year content to be labelled as vintage.
The wine vintage of 1981 ranged in quality, with some regions producing excellent wines, but few considered truly exceptional. Bordeaux wines from this year were quite good, with a medium body and good structure, though they were overshadowed by the outstanding 1982 vintage. Italian wines from 1981 also showed consistency, while Tuscany excelled. In France, regions like Beaujolais, Loire, Alsace, and the Rhône Valley had good years, but Sauternes and Burgundy fell short. The rest of Europe was mixed, with Spain, Germany, and Austria producing good wines, and Port and Tokaj following suit.
Specific wines from 1981 that showcase notable styles and quality include the Chateau Branaire Ducru from Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, with its complex, chocolatey, and cedary bouquet; the Chateau Clarke, also from Bordeaux, with its stoic character and tobacco, wet earth, spice, cassis, and cherry aromatics; and the 1981 Cos d'Estournel from Bordeaux's Saint-Estèphe appellation, a deep ruby-coloured wine with a spicy, rich, briery bouquet.
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Cocktails of the 1980s
The 1980s were a decade of bold, colourful, and sweet cocktails that matched the era's fashion and music. From the Long Island Iced Tea to the Woo Woo, the drinks were a reflection of the time itself: colourful and spectacular. Here are some of the most popular cocktails of the 1980s:
Piña Colada
The Piña Colada is a creamy, tropical cocktail made with coconut cream, white rum, and tangy pineapple. It is said to have originated in Puerto Rico and became extremely popular in the 1980s, thanks in part to the increasing popularity of blended, frozen cocktails and the 1979 hit song "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes.
Alabama Slammer
The Alabama Slammer is a bold and fruity cocktail made with Southern Comfort, amaretto, sloe gin, and orange juice. It was popular in college bars and at wild house parties, known for its vibrant colour and dangerously smooth taste.
Sex on the Beach
Created in the early 1980s, Sex on the Beach is a fruity, summery cocktail with a kick. It combines vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and orange juice. The fun and slightly rebellious name added to its popularity during the carefree era of the 1980s.
Amaretto Sour
The Amaretto Sour enjoyed a heyday in the 1980s when a new wave of Italian liqueurs was promoted in the US market. It has a sweet but not-too-sweet flavour with a delicious almond essence. The addition of egg whites gives it a rich and satisfying body.
Woo Woo
The Woo Woo is a sweet and fruity cocktail made with peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and vodka. It is said to have gotten its name from a New York bartender who was a fan of the Mets and would shout "woo woo!" when the team scored. This drink became extremely popular in the 1980s, especially among newly legal drinkers and clubbers.
Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is an aquamarine-coloured cocktail that gained popularity in the 1980s, partly due to the 1980 romantic drama film of the same name starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins. It is a refreshing party drink with fresh citrus flavours and a touch of sweetness from the maraschino cherry syrup.
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Alcohol trends of the decade
Alcohol trends of the 1980s were characterised by a variety of cocktails, with the decade seeing the rise of mega-brand alcohol companies. The 1980s also witnessed a general decline in alcohol consumption across all age groups, with the most notable decrease observed among 18 to 20-year-olds.
Wine
In 1981, many regions produced excellent wines, but few were considered truly exceptional. In France, Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Loire, Alsace, and the Rhône Valley all had good years, while Tuscany excelled in Italy. Port and Tokaj also produced some nice wines, some of which may still be drinkable today. California, a relatively new wine region, had a good year, while Australia did not.
Cocktails
The 1980s were a time when cocktails were prevalent, especially in London. While some of these cocktails were badly made, they were nonetheless popular. The Piña Colada, for example, was the drink of choice for Del Boy in the TV series "Only Fools and Horses." Other popular cocktails included the Fluffy Duck, which combined generous measures of gin and triple sec with creamy advocaat; the Fuzzy Navel, made with peach schnapps and orange juice (or vodka to make a Hairy Navel); and the Alabama Slammer, which originated at the University of Alabama in the late 1960s to early 1970s and grew in popularity during the 1980s. The decade also saw the rise of Sex on the Beach, a combination of a Fuzzy Navel and Cape Cobbler, resulting in a fruity cocktail with an alcoholic kick.
Alcohol Consumption Trends
The early 1980s marked a distinct gender gap in drinking habits, with male 12th-graders more likely to drink than females. Additionally, male high school seniors were more likely to engage in binge drinking, which was defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row. However, overall alcohol consumption and binge drinking declined during the second half of the 1980s across all age groups, with the most significant decline observed among 18 to 20-year-olds. This decline continued into the early 1990s, after which alcohol consumption and binge drinking increased or remained the same between 1997 and 1999.
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Wine-making process and importance of vintage
Wine-making is a process that has been around for thousands of years. It is a natural process that requires very little human intervention. The steps for making white wine and red wine are basically the same, with a few exceptions.
The first step in the wine-making process is harvesting or collecting grapes. Grapes are the only fruit that can reliably produce the necessary amount of sugar annually to make enough alcohol to preserve wine. The process of making fine wine requires that the grapes are harvested at a precise time, preferably when they are physiologically ripe. A combination of science and old-fashioned tasting usually goes into determining when to harvest.
The next step is crushing the whole clusters of fresh ripe grapes. Today, mechanical crushers perform the traditional role of stomping or treading the grapes into what is commonly referred to as must. Mechanical pressing has improved the quality and longevity of wine while reducing the winemaker's need for preservatives.
Following this, fermentation begins, which normally continues until all of the sugar is converted to alcohol. Fermentation can require anywhere from ten days to a month or more. The resulting level of alcohol in a wine will vary from one locale to the next, due to the total sugar content of the must. An alcohol level of 10% in cool climates versus a high of 15% in warmer areas is considered normal. Sweet wine is produced when the fermentation process is interrupted before all of the sugar has been converted into alcohol.
The next step is clarification, where substances such as egg whites, clay, and compounds are added to the wine.
Finally, the wine is aged and bottled. The aging process is one of the most important parts of making wine. The wine is introduced into barrels that make it acquire aromatic notes that can be distinguished during the tasting. While in the barrels, the wine evolves and develops different characteristics.
A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and declare vintage Port in their best years. A wine's vintage is significant as it conveys valuable information about the wine's characteristics, quality, taste, and aging potential. The importance of vintage depends on the variability of a region's climate and the degree of human intervention in the winemaking process. For example, in regions with colder climates, vintage can be very important as some seasons will produce riper grapes and better wine. On the other hand, modern winemaking techniques have reduced the importance of vintage in some regions by allowing winemakers to produce consistent wines year after year.
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Best regions for wine in 1981
In 1981, France's Bordeaux region produced wines with highly variable quality. Some estates and appellations produced wines with charm and balance, while others struggled with underripe grapes and less favourable conditions. The wines were also noted for their tannic structure, with firm or astringent tannins suggesting that some would require extended ageing to develop complexity. While some Bordeaux wines were considered suitable for ageing, critics recommended that certain wines be consumed earlier to capture their youthful fruitfulness. Despite the challenges, some Bordeaux wines were praised for their elegance and finesse.
Outside of Bordeaux, other French regions such as Beaujolais, Loire, Alsace, and the Rhône Valley also enjoyed good years in 1981, while Sauternes and Champagne produced lacklustre vintages. Tuscany in Italy excelled in 1981, with Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano being notable wines from the region. In Spain, Germany, and Austria, the vintage was good but not exceptional. Port and Tokaj also produced some nice wines.
California, known for its diverse wine regions, produced wines of notable quality in 1981. The cool and wet winter, followed by a mild spring, contributed to the richness and complexity of the wines from this region.
While not a focus for wine production at the time, China has since become a significant wine-producing country, with the import of Western winemaking technologies and the direction of experienced French winemakers.
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Frequently asked questions
The quality of vintage alcohol from 1981 varied. While some regions produced excellent wines, few stood out as truly exceptional. Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Loire, Alsace, and the Rhône Valley in France all had good years, but the vintage for Sauternes and Champagne was lacklustre and poor for Burgundy. Tuscany in Italy excelled, while Piedmont suffered a particularly bad year. Spain, Germany, Austria, and Portugal all had good but not great years, with Port and Tokaj producing some nice wines.
The vast majority of wines from 1981 are likely to be past their best. However, some top reds from successful regions and producers, along with dessert wines and fortified wines, may still be drinkable. For example, a 1981 Colheita port from Kopke or a Chateau Branaire Ducru 1981 St Julien from Bordeaux may offer a good drinking experience.
The 1980s bar scene was characterised by cocktails, with shows like "Cheers" and "Del Boy" popularising drinks like the Piña Colada. Other popular cocktails of the time included the Amaretto Sour, the Fuzzy Navel (or Hairy Navel with added vodka), the Alabama Slammer, and the Buck's Fizz, a simple combination of orange juice and Champagne.
