Why Are We Still Describing Wine As Old World or New World?

If you’re beginning to learn about wine or if your cuffs are stuffed with pins, You’ve probably heard someone describe a wine as being from the Old and New World. A shorthand used to describe geographical and stylistic characteristics is one of the most popular ways textbooks and wine shops categorize the vast subject matter of wine.

The term is used primarily to make a distinction. “Old World” wines hail from Western Europe and are believed to have lower levels of alcohol and stronger bonds to the areas where they are grown, referred to as Terroir. The so-called New World wines are made elsewhere than Western Europe and are described as having a fruity flavor due to their purportedly scientific methods. Imagine the image of an “Old-World” farmer letting hand-picked grapes naturally ferment in an open field, with lambs nearby or cool Medieval cellars, and a “New-World” wine scientist drops fruits that machines have picked into stainless steel vats that are insulated in refrigeration systems.

Simple and tidy as it is, however, the Old and New World framework is increasingly ineffective for those trying to comprehend contemporary wine. It draws haphazard lines about the definition of what’s “old.” It ignores how variables such as climate change, technology, and international trends influence what wines are produced where and in what way.

Stated, “Old World wine” isn’t around anymore, at least not supposed to be. It’s an outdated concept; there are many alternatives to speak about wine to those looking to break free from stale rules.

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One of the biggest problems in the Old distinction between the Old and New distinction is the lack of historical accuracy. While we may not be aware of this paradigm’s generally problematic colonialist implications (and why do we need to? ), It’s still a game of loose and sloppy with European historical events. For example, suppose we take the stance of a handful of European winemakers and consider the “Old World” as places where Ancient Romans planted vines: France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal. The only exception to the list of countries is Greece, which produced wine in the same period. However, it isn’t part of the wine industry’s “Old World.” We’re not ignoring the evidence from archeological excavations that the first winemaking equipment was found in what is today called Georgia, another country that’s been omitted from this “Old World” umbrella.

Suppose Dr. D. Christopher Taylor teaches wine classes at the U. of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership. In that case, using these terms is more of a historical touchpoint than a contemporary classification system. “It is necessary to bring it into terms of the way that wine evolved in the past, and yet the idea of describing the wine style using terms like Old World versus New World is no longer relevant in the current market for wine. Particularly for consumers new to wine … It’s no longer used as a descriptor that can distinguish one type of wine from another.”

Unfortunately, climate change and how winemakers deal with its impacts is a better approach to examining the effect of the geography of winemaking. Take the French Ministry of Agriculture, which revised its guidelines to allow Bordeaux winemakers to use six grape varieties better suited for climate changes by 2021. In the next few years, your legendary Bordeaux wine could be made up of centuries-old varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and the addition of Arinarnoa, which is a cross between Tannat and Cabernet that was created in less than 70 years ago.

As the climate gets hotter and technology advances globally, winemakers worldwide- including those in what is known as the Old World- continue to face challenges related to later harvests as well as higher levels of alcohol and the need to adapt to the newest technology. When conditions in Southern France climb above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in September, winemakers in the region must utilize the climate-controlled storage and lined tanks traditionally associated with the “New World” brethren. “When using good science to make wine, that’s ‘New World style,'” Taylor says. Taylor.

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Werner Waldboth understands the importance of adaptability very well. He’s the director of marketing and sales for Abbazia di Novacella, an abbey and winery located in Alto Adige, Italy, constructed in 1142. He claims that temperatures have increased by 4 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 30 years, forcing their staff to harvest the grapes three to four weeks earlier than they did in the 1990s. “We don’t have that big diurnal shift anymore, which means we have higher sugar levels in the grapes and higher alcohol levels,” he says.

These kinds of variations in the process can significantly impact how the wine in the glass is smelt. “We used to keep our yields very low to create structure in the wine, but now we have to keep yields larger to keep alcohol levels low,” Waldboth explains. “Winemakers worldwide have to think about these things now.”

Winemakers need to be aware of global marketability as well. Whether perfecting a red blend in a high-tech California winery or picking the same varieties their great-great-great-grandparents cultivated in a verdant French valley, most need to sell bottles to pay their bills. Thus, various consumer preferences have influenced the winemaking style over the years. Waldboth remembers that in the 80s and ’90s, winemakers across the Old World started making full-bodied, alcohol-rich wines regardless of their historical precedent. This style appealed to American wine critic Robert Parker and the deep-pocketed U.S. consumers who made purchases based on his opinions. Today, most consumers prefer light, low-alcohol wine, so producers who are market-oriented across the globe from Lodi up to Loire will be altering their style to appeal to these consumers. Geography isn’t the primary driver behind these style changes as much as the necessity to discover a market and remain in business.

The most sought-after wines aren’t restricted to the exclusive, prestigious grounds that belong to wineries in “Old World,” either. Numerous winemakers outside Western Europe are making nuanced wines driven by Terroir and appealing to the type of consumers worldwide who only bought top-end Bordeaux and Burgundies. Bordeaux. This is why Severine Schlumberger proposes we ditch the Old distinction between the Old and New World framework and use a different classification method. “There are two methods of making wine, and it’s not about where you are. There’s a farming and industrial methods to make wine, ” says the seventh-generation winemaker at Domaine Schlumberger in Alsace, France.

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