Old World vs. New World

Have you ever heard the expression "Old World" vs. "New World"? It is a common term amongst wine geeks, and conveys more than just region; it conveys a style. The Old World describes the more classic wine regions: France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. Their wines are often associated with the world “terroir”, which means, in wine terms, a sense of “place”. Old World enthusiasts will argue that their wines are representative of the places in which they are made, that they reflect the soil, the weather, even the cuisine or the culture of the region from which they come. The New World describes the more youthful wine producing regions: America, Chile, Argentina and Australia. New World enthusiasts are more prone to credit the wine maker or producer with the quality of the wine. New World wine makers are more usually considered more adventurous with techniques that will change or improve a wine in the cellar, as well as in the vineyard. Nature vs. nurture of the wine world? Perhaps, but terroir and the talent of a wine maker are important factors in both the Old and New Worlds. Their differences in style will be discussed in more length in future columns…

The gaping difference between most Old World and New World that I want to touch on today is varietal labeling. In the New World, it is common to label the wines based on the grapes from which they are grown. As long as the wine contains 75% of the stated varietal, the wine is allowed to be labeled as such in most parts of the New World (Europe requires 85% to be sold in the EU, so most New World wine makers conform to this standard). Because the New World does not necessary place such a high premium on this sense of place that the Old World does, the region from which the wine is sourced is secondary to the varietals themselves. In the Old World, however, terroir means so much more. This is the reason why wines like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, and Chianti are so confusing to many wine novices. These are places on a map, not grapes.

In some ways, this can be terribly confusing. One has to be familiar with what grapes are grown in these regions, to what degree all these grapes are used, and in what style the wines within these regions are made. It is a lot easier for most consumers to pick a bottle of mid-priced California Cabernet off of the shelf. In doing this, you are doing yourself a major disservice. California Cabernets are lovely wines, but they are just one expression of Cabernet, and there are many other grapes in the world that deserve their place in your wine rack.

For the next few columns, we are going to do a quick dissection of the most common and quality Old World wine regions so that you wine enthusiasts can start understanding what it means to drink these wines, and what varietals and places they represent.