1978 Wine and Port Vintage
Vintage Summary and Recommendations: 
Welcome to Vintage Wine and Port's 1978 wine page. Read on for our summary of the 1978 vintage, our top recommendations and region reports. Scroll down to see all of our wines currently available. If you cannot find what you are looking for please call us on 01425 837177 or Contact Us. We would love to help you with your wine choice!
In France, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire and the Alsace all enjoyed excellent years, producing a wide range of sophisticated wines, some of which were capable of great aging. For Sauternes, however, the year was distinctly average and, for Champagne, it was downright poor. For France, the star region was indisputably the Rhône Valley, which had a legendary year for both the north and south. Italy had a legendary vintage and Spain's was also notably good.
Our Wine Expert currently recommends the following wines for this year:
This Year in History: Fun Fact: Louise Brown, the first “test-tube baby,” was born healthy in Oldham General Hospital, UK.
Eurovision Winner: Israel with the song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" by Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta
Top Grossing Movie: Grease
Bordeaux: The 1978 wine vintage was excellent for the Bordeaux region. The dry, hot summer produced wines that were medium-bodied, deeply coloured, fruity and moderately tannic. The wines reached their peak of maturity in the 1990s but are still drinking well now and will continue to do so for some years to come.
Italian: 1978 was a trouble free vintage across the Tuscany region with an early spring, warm but not excessively hot summer and well distributed rainfall. There was a certain amount of rain early in the harvest but those producers who picked later benefited from a period of uninterrupted fine weather. Altogether for Tuscany this was a 4 out of 5 Vintage. Conversely, the year started with cold and damp weather in Piedmont. Spring was particularly wet with lower than average seasonal temperatures; not until the second half of June did the weather pick up, too late for the flowering, which took place in very wet conditions causing a significant reduction in the crop. After light rains at the beginning of September, the weather suddenly turned around and the rest of the month was hot and dry with a marked difference between day and nighttime temperatures. The dramatic improvement continued through until the end of the Nebbiolo harvest during the third week of October. Natural selection and a warm autumn meant a very small crop of thick-skinned Nebbiolo grapes in Barolo and Barbaresco. By the end of the season this hailed as a great, long-lived vintage with a rating of 5/5.
Portugal: 1978 was a good Port vintage, although not a declared one; the wines are not outstanding but are still attractive and drinkable. 1978 was the year when the labelling of 'single quinta' became popular. Michael Symington, Head Winemaker at Symington Family Estates (Owners of Warre's, Dow's, Cockburn's, Smith Woodhouse and Graham's among others) wrote of the 1978 vintage "Musts showed exceptional colour and body and very dark, heavy wines have certainly been made. Not a trace of mould or rot was to be seen on the grapes coming in, and seldom can a Vintage have been made from more uniformly healthy grapes."
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72 products found.
Vino Da Tavola, 1978
Noè di Siciliana - Torre Salsa
Ruby red with purplish highlights in colour, the wine presents fruity aromas of cherries and ripe red berry fruit well integrated with notes of black pepper and balsamic sensations of eucalyptus and mint. The palate is ample and supple, the finish and aftertaste fruity.
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Price: $77.21 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Pinot Nero, 1978
Maschio Breganze
Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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Price: $77.21 USD
Stock: 34 in Stock
Sangiovese di Romagna, 1978
Soc. Coop. Corovin
Good-quality Sangiovese is prized for its high acid, firm tannins and balanced nature. Savory flavors of dark cherries and black stone fruit are characteristic, and may be backed by secondary notes of tomato leaf and dried herbs. The use of oak has become more popular and this coaxes richer flavors from the grapes, tending toward plum and wild raspberry.
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Price: $77.21 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Vei Cavour (Piemonte), 1978
Giordano
Aged red wine. Selected red grapes produce this lively and elegant wine with an intense red colour and subtle orange tones. Its soft velvety bouquet results from a period of maturation in Slavonian oak barrels, ensuring a full and rounded taste.
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Price: $77.21 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Cirò, 1978
Vincenzo Ippolito - Riserva
The Ciro Rosado has a pale ruby colour. Has an elegant bouquet in which they differ floral and fruity notes: rose, maraschino cherry, red fruit and hints of iodine on a rhubarb and sweet spices. The palate has a right to the body weight in balance and freshness, is intense and soft with a lingering fruity finish.
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Price: $77.21 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chianti, 1978
Caseiaoli
Tuscan wine (Italian Toscana) is Italian wine from the Tuscany region. Located in central Italy along the Tyrrhenian coast, Tuscany is home to some of the world's most notable wine regions. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are primarily made with Sangiovese grape whereas the Vernaccia grape is the basis of the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chianti, 1978
Vigna Vecchia - Fratelli Beccari
Chianti, situated in Tuscany in central Italy, is home to probably the best-known and most iconic of all Italian wines. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are primarily made with Sangiovese grape whereas the Vernaccia grape is the basis of the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chianti, 1978
Castelgreve
Chianti, situated in Tuscany in central Italy, is home to probably the best-known and most iconic of all Italian wines. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are primarily made with Sangiovese grape whereas the Vernaccia grape is the basis of the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 3 in Stock
Merlot, 1978
Cecilia Danieli
Merlot can also produce a delightful and intriguing pure varietal wine. While Merlot has a long history of use as a blending wine, pure Merlot wines have been relatively slow in gaining momentum in Italy. That too has changed and today some of the world’s best Merlot wines bear Italian labels.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Nebbiolo D'Alba, 1978
Bersano
Nebbiolo d'Alba renowned for is longevity, is considered the premiere varietal of northwestern Italy. It is used for the Famous Barolo wines and is believed to have been cultivated in the Langhe district before the fourteenth century.Nebbiolo-based wines, acid and astringent in youth, evolve with maturation into some of the most well-structured, longest living, and richly scented wines.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Blauburgunder, 1978
Stiftkellerei Neustift
Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Sizzano, 1978
Cantina Sociale di Sizzano e Ghemme
The wines Sizzano must be made from grapes coming from the following varieties: Nebbiolo (Span): 50-70%; Vespolina and Uva Rara (Bonarda Novarese) alone or in combination 30-50%. Colour: ruby red with garnet; Bouquet: vinous, typical, with hints of violet, fine and pleasant; Flavour: dry, full-bodied and harmonious with a slightly bitter aftertaste; Aging: "Sizzano": at least 22 months of which at least 18 in wood; "Sizzano Reserve": at least 34 months of which at least 24 in wood.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 9 in Stock
Sassella, 1978
Nino Negri
Valtellina Superiore Sassella wines are made under the Valtellina Superiore DOCG, specifically from grapes grown in the village of Sassella. Sassella is one of five viticultural sub-zones specifically identified as producing Valtellina wines of particularly high quality: the other four are Grumello, Inferno, Maroggia and Valgella. Sassella is considered to be the finest of these, and the pinnacle of the Valtellina viticultural zone.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Sassella, 1978
Enologica Valtelinese
Valtellina Superiore Sassella wines are made under the Valtellina Superiore DOCG, specifically from grapes grown in the village of Sassella. Sassella is one of five viticultural sub-zones specifically identified as producing Valtellina wines of particularly high quality: the other four are Grumello, Inferno, Maroggia and Valgella. Sassella is considered to be the finest of these, and the pinnacle of the Valtellina viticultural zone.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Bordeaux, 1978
Chateau Prince Larquey
Bordeaux, in the south-west of France, needs little introduction to anyone with an interest in wine. One of the world's most prolific wine regions, it also manages to rank among the most famous and prestigious. The secrets of Bordeaux's wine success (other than magical Bordeaux Blend) are its three trump cards: diversity, quality and quantity. The majority of Bordeaux wines are the dry, medium-bodied reds that made the region famous.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 11 in Stock
Bordeaux, 1978
Chateau Balan
Bordeaux, in the south-west of France, needs little introduction to anyone with an interest in wine. One of the world's most prolific wine regions, it also manages to rank among the most famous and prestigious. The secrets of Bordeaux's wine success (other than magical Bordeaux Blend) are its three trump cards: diversity, quality and quantity. The majority of Bordeaux wines are the dry, medium-bodied reds that made the region famous.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 11 in Stock
Montepulciano, 1978
d'Abruzzo, Bosco Nestore
Montepulciano is a red wine grape variety grown widely in central Italy, most notably its eastern Abruzzo, Marche and Molise regions. The variety was named after the Tuscan parish of Montepulciano, but, confusingly, is not used in the famous wines produced there (see Vino Nobile di Montepulciano). Globally appreciated for their soft flavors, strong color and gentle tannins, Montepulciano wines are typically best consumed in their youth and with food. The deep-purple juice of Montepulciano grapes is used in varying proportions to produce wines under roughly 50 of Italy's DOC and DOCG titles. Although sometimes used on its own, …
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 21 in Stock
Valtellina, 1978
Nera
Valtellina is one of Italy’s most dramatic wine regions, located in Lombardy, the vineyards are located on steep mountains. The principal grape variety is Chiavennasca (the local name for Piedmont’s Nebbiolo and an Italian grape varietal that has been cultivated since medieval times here). The DOCG wines are generally comprised of at least 90% Chiavennasca and then blended with other quality local grapes like Brugnola, Rossola, Pignola. Then there is a DOC Valtellina Rosso (also called Rosso di Valtellina DOC) which requires at least 80% of the blend be Chiavennasca and does not have minimum ageing requirements. …
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Grumello, 1978
Nera
Grumello wines are those made under the Valtellina Superiore, specifically from grapes grown in the named Grumello sub-region. Grumello is one of five viticultural sub-zones specifically identified as producing Valtellina wines of particularly high quality: the other four are Inferno, Sassella, Maroggia and Valgella.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Cotes de Bourg, 1978
Chateau La Grolet
The 1978 Cotes de Bourg is deep ruby in colour with garnet rim. Some class on the nose, black fruits, leather and white pepper. The palate gives purity of fruit and soft tannins. A very enjoyable and food-worthy claret.
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Price: $90.29 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Dao, 1978
Porta dos Cavaleiros, Dao
Caves S. Joao, established in 1920, became a dominant force in Portuguese winemaking in the early 20th century with their houses Porta dos Cavaleiros in Dao and Frei Joao in Bairrada. Given the shifting trends in consumer preferences, Bairrada and Dao fell to obscurity in the 1990s when critical influence drove the demand for bigger, extracted, warmer climate wines. As in all things, however, what comes around goes around! Sure enough, 20 years later savvy consumers and food-conscious sommeliers are looking for finesse and freshness and heading back to Bairrada and Dao. Wines that when young had a vegetal character, …
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Price: $103.38 USD
Stock: 119 in Stock
Bardolino, 1978
Bolla
The Bardolino wine is obtained mainly from the grapes of Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and possibly with the addition of other grapes minors. It has a brilliant ruby red colour. It is delicately fruity, with hints of cherry, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, currant and spices (cinnamon, clove, black pepper). It has a great drinkability and an extraordinary ability to match the food.
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Price: $103.38 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Nebbiolo D'Alba, 1978
Bric Paraiso - Carretta
Nebbiolo d'Alba renowned for is longevity, is considered the premiere varietal of northwestern Italy. It is used for the Famous Barolo wines and is believed to have been cultivated in the Langhe district before the fourteenth century.Nebbiolo-based wines, acid and astringent in youth, evolve with maturation into some of the most well-structured, longest living, and richly scented wines.
more >>>
Price: $103.38 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Inferno, 1978
Nino Negri
Inferno is one of five viticultural sub-zones specifically identified as producing Valtellina wines of particularly high quality: the other four are Grumello, Sassella, Maroggia and Valgella. Inferno means 'hell' in Italian, and refers to the slopes between Sondrio town and the village of Tresivio. Although DOC laws do not explain the origins of this name, it has been suggested that in summer the slopes here get noticeably hotter than the rest of the valley. Just across Sondrio to the west is Sassella, the finest of the Valtellina sub-zones.
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Price: $103.38 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Refosco, 1978
del Peduculo, Ital. Cescon
Refosco is a very old Italian family of dark-skinned grape varieties native to the northern Italian and neighbouring areas of Friuli, Gavi, Trentino,Istria, and Karst Plateau.It is considered autochthonous in these regions. The wines this grape yields can be quite powerful and tannic, with a deep violet color and a slight bitterness. On the palate, there are strong currant, wild berry and plum flavors. The wine can stand some aging.
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Price: $103.38 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock