The answer? Maybe.
With value wines, no.
With value or bulk wines, a consistant flavor is paramount to maintaining a brand image. Could you imagine if the flavor of Coke changed every year? By growing or purchasing a large quantity of grapes from many regions wineries are able to balance out the effects of weather on grape quality.
The only time the vintage matters is in higher end or 'reserve' wines that are produced from small, single vineyards. With a small plot of land
the winemaker is at the mercy of the weather, and in a poor year a winery may not make any wine at
all (as happened to Chateau d'Yquem 9 times in the past century). So why bother? Because in a great year small lot wines can potentially gain more distinct characters, flavors, and complexity and acheive 'liquid art'.
