The subject of wine can be a vast as the universe. There is no shortage to things to talk about; be it the health benefits, the food pairings, the endless collection of grapes, or the new world versus the old world. I have all the time been asked what the difference between the Old World wines and New World wines were.
I suppose the simple, glib answer would that the Old World is Europe and New World is in any place else. But that kind of superficial answer has all the time annoyed me. It is roughly up there with the thoughtless, “drink any wine any way you want” advice.
Wines
There are a lot of differences, some that are quite superficial and some, that are quite profound. That said, I believe the most significant, to my exiguous understanding, is the winemaker’s intent.
French winemaking is the most notable expression of terroir. And therein lies the basic difference between Old World wines and New World Wines. Winemakers, in the Old World tradition, craft their wines to be an expression of the land and climate it comes from. Is it any wonder then, that Old World wines are labeled in accordance to the land that produced the grape?
Burgundian wines are labeled not as Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, but rather the region and villages that produced the grape. In general, the more defined the area, the “higher” the ability of the wine. That makes sense in that the more specific the area, the more nuanced the wine must be.
In contrast, New World wines celebrate the grape and the winemakers that generate the wine. Terms like appellation and particular vineyard destinations are relatively new to the New World. The most leading item on a label is the grape varietal. Most New World controlling authority dictate that a bottle must have a specific number (I believe 75% in the Us) a grape varietal to be able to use that name on the label.
In short, Old World wines are a celebration of the land that produced the grape. New World wines are a celebration of the grape.
To add added emphasis to this basic difference is the wine’s purpose. Old World winemakers craft their wines as an expression of the region to marry cuisine of that region. No one grape plays dominance (though there may be more Cabernet Sauvignon than Merlot on the left bank of the Gironde River and vice versa on the right bank), because what is more leading than what is in the bottle, is how the wine plays with the food on the table.
Once again, New World winemakers craft a wine to coax out a grape’s full potential. Sure, some winemakers craft their wines to be a good supplement to food, but I think most would be just as article to have their wines drunk by itself. Because above all else, the focus is the wine.
Who knows, perhaps it is a play on New World individualism versus Old World “it takes a village.”
How Fundamentally separate Old World Wines Are to New World Wines
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