When it comes to what is old and new, in the world of wine, some things will always hold true. I’m not talking about the age of a bottle of wine or how long a winery has been in operation. I refer to the difference between what we refer to as old world wine and new world wine – or to be more specific, the “Old World” and “New World” wine regions. We hear these terms name dropped all the time, but let’s break it down into why this is relevant to your wine journey!
Bottom line, the “Old World” in wine terms geographically refers to Western and Central Europe. These countries have been making wine for centuries! We’ve all heard the Biblical references to turning Holy Water into wine. Many archeological finds document wine’s existence, importance, wine making and trading throughout ancient civilization. Greeks and Romans alike regarded wine as a basic staple although the quality of wine consumed by Julius Caesar was obviously a different class than that consumed by servants. The NY Times bestseller A History of the World in 6 Glasses covers much more!
What is old is old, that can’t be changed
Old World wine is anything but old fashioned wines. Old World wine making is highly regulated and local laws are very strict on which varietals are grown, what yield of wine is grown per hectare, the minimum and maximum alcohol levels etc…. Wine makers, however, are anything but staid and boring! New technology is being implemented and often seamlessly melded into ancient techniques such as biodynamics. Regardless, a few things typically hold true as general – obviously not 100%:
- Old world wines are often softer, lower in alcohol, earthier and higher in acidity
- Many wine regions label by location, not by varietal – ie: Burgundy or Pommard versus Pinot Noir
- Old world wines are more food driven – what grows together goes together reigns true – Chianti and Pasta for example
- Quality levels are well defined and specific to where the grapes are grown, wine making processes and aging – ie: Rioja’s Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva and Gran Añada (sparkling)
- Sparkling wine, especially Champagne, is one of the few wine styles where consistency year after year is important, Mother Nature typically rules otherwise
Out with the old in with the new
New World wine countries are basically anything outside those in Western and Central Europe as mentioned. Australia / New Zealand to Argentina. Canada to China. Chile to South Africa. I like to think of these regions as the wild Wild West of wine making. Here, rules are quite general and winemakers can be as creative and innovative as they want to be. Wines are not bound by local laws and traditions making for great results. This also can create confusion as statements such as “Old Vine” or “Reserve” on labels has no real definition. Marketing and branding often drive verbiage versus actual wine quality.
Here are a few generalities around New World wine:
- New world wine tasting ranges from big, bold, tannic, high alcohol or highly oak influenced reds and whites to bland and flabby high volume consumer brands
- New world food and wine pairing is often driven by Red = Steak and White = Fish but none of this is bound by law – drink whatever you like! There are no rules!
- Quality levels have no real legal meaning but many wine makers have varying levels of quality in their portfolio from daily drinkable to high end small batch bottlings
- Varietals are almost always on the label, but know that in most cases only 75-85% of the juice in a bottle has to actually be that varietal in many countries (US included)
- A significant portion of New World wine is driven by brand style as consumers expect these wines to taste the same year after year
What is most important? Regardless of whether you’re seeking Old World or New World wine, if you like it, drink it! All the rules governing Old World winemaking exist for a reason and allow consumer expectations to be framed within certain boundaries. All the freedom of New World winemaking is exciting, fun and unexpected but consumers should frame expectations accordingly as the diversity of one Chardonnay to the next is like traveling from Venus to Jupiter!
Now get out and travel the world through as many bottles of wine as you’d like! It’s a big world so get out there and find your next favorite bottle of wine along the way!
Cheers!
