The wine world is a big one, with more than 50 countries producing around 30 million liters of wine per year, according to California’s Wine Institute. That’s a lot of wine! Of course, as average wine consumers, we will only come into contact with wine from about 12 of these countries, the 12 that make up around 85 percent of the world’s wine production. While this narrows it down quite a bit, it can still be difficult to navigate, especially when just beginning to learn about wine. For easier learning, these countries can be divided in the “Old World” and the “New World.”
When we talk about Old World wines, we are referring to wines that are produced in countries that could be considered the birthplaces of wine. These countries have the longest and richest history when it comes to wine making and are mostly found in Europe and the Middle East. The most popular examples are France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Germany.
New World wines come from places where wine making occurs only because of practices and vines being imported from Old World countries. These countries were established after being colonies and territories, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina and the United States.
The geographic separation of these countries helps us when we look at a map, but how does it help us with what we’re tasting or when choosing what wines to buy? Once the difference between these two worlds is understood, it can actually be an extremely helpful tool when choosing a wine. Here are some key differences to help you better sort through the two worlds.
Wine Laws
In the Old World, winemaking is heavily regulated by the government to preserve wine making traditions and protect the wine growing regions considered to be the best. These laws vary from country to country, but some laws are common among them all, such as only growing grapes allowed for a specified area, not growing more grapes than allowed, and following predetermined winemaking practices. When ordering an Old World wine, you generally order by region, thanks to these restrictions. If I order a Chablis, I know I’m getting Chardonnay because it is the only grape legal to produce there. If I order a Chianti, I know I’m getting a red blend with mostly Sangiovese, because that’s how Chianti has been made for hundreds of years. In a way, this makes ordering easier, but to become an Old World ordering whiz, studying the regions and their laws will be your biggest help. If you find yourself wanting to buy wine in a shop and aren’t sure what you’re ordering, you can do a quick internet search for the region specified on the label and you should find the grapes in no time.
In the New World, there are much fewer regulations, so winemakers have a bit more freedom when it comes to what grapes they want to grow and what they can blend them with. This is why you can find a California Gewurztraminer or a Chilean Cabernet. This is also why you wouldn’t order a Sonoma or a Willamette Valley, because there is no way to know exactly what grapes you would be getting.
Obviously, being the average wine consumer in America it is much easier for us to order wines that are clearly stated on the label, but don’t be afraid to branch out into another, “older” world!
Taste Profiles
Yes, they actually taste different! New World wines tend to be fruitier, higher in alcohol, and fuller bodied, while Old World wines have higher acidity, are lighter bodied and lower in alcohol. These differences mostly come from the climate of the regions, with Europe being cooler, and most New World countries being warmer, which creates ripe or unripe fruit.
A fun exercise to taste the difference between the two worlds is to taste them side by side. Try these wine comparisons to see what your palate prefers!
California Tempranillo and a Spanish Rioja
Oregon Pinot Noir and a French Burgundy
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a French Sancerre
Arizona Malvasia and an Italian Malvasia
For more information or a fun tasting experience, stop by the Raven Cafe located in downtown Prescott and check out our current wine list online at ravencafe.com.
Happy tasting! QCBN
By Valerye Jeffries
Valerye Jeffries is the wine manager at the Raven Café.
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