Ever wonder what wine people mean when they talk about “old world” versus “new world” wines? Of course, it’s geographical. The old world is Europe, where wine has been grown for two millennia. The new world is anywhere else people grow grapes and makes wine—the U.S., South Africa, Australia, Chile, etc. But wine people mean something beyond that basic geographical framework when they talk about “old” versus “new.” They mean the style of the wines.
Suave European Wines vs. Bold Newcomers
Old world wines highlight their terrior (say it with me; tear-wah), which is the French way of saying that wines reflect the environment in which the grapes are grown—things like soil, climate, sunlight and topography play a big part in the ultimate product. Old world wines tend to have more subtle flavors with earthy or mineral overtones. They also generally have less alcohol, more acid and more tannins than new world wines.
New world wines tend to have bolder, fruitier tastes. Compared to old world wines they have more sugar, more alcohol, fewer tannins and fewer acids.
Rock Star Winemakers vs. Nature Lovers
It’s worth noting that because of the focus on terrior, winemakers intervene less in the making of old world wines. In the new world, the skill of the winemaker is more noticeable, which is why there are more winemaker “rock stars” in the new world than the old (Charles Smith, I’m looking at you).
So when it comes time for you to try your next wine, consider comparing old world to new world. One isn’t necessarily better than the other. What you prefer simply depends on your palate. My personal wine drinking hack is to stick to fruitier, flavorful new world wines when I am enjoying a glass without food and to go for old world wines with meals since the higher acid content makes for good food and wine pairings.
Cheers to trying both!