Comet vintages are years during which an astronomical event, involving generally a "Great Comet", occurs prior to harvest. Throughout the history of wine, winemakers have attributed successful vintages and ideal weather conditions to the unexplained effects caused by the comets. Some of the most heralded vintages in the last couple of centuries—such as the 1811, 1826, 1839, 1845, 1852, 1858, 1861, 1985, and 1989 vintages—have coincided with a notable appearance of a comet. There is no scientific basis for any effect of comets on viticulture, but the term nevertheless remains in use.
The Great Comet of 1811, as drawn by William Henry Smyth
Despite officially banning the importation of bottled French wines, such as Champagne, Tsar Alexander I was said to have sought out the Veuve Clicquot Cuvée de la Comète
During its 1986 return Halley's Comet was visible in late 1985 which has been called a "comet vintage"
Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine. 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. From this tradition, a common, though not strictly correct, usage applies the term to any wine that is perceived to be particularly old or of a particularly high quality.
Vintage by Satyrs and Maenads. Ancient Greek Attic black-figure cup, end of 6th century BC. Cabinet des médailles de la Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, France
Vintage near Sorrento, Italy, Jacob Philipp Hackert, c. 1784
Vintage champagne
Vintages in the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy
