What is the difference between New World and Old World wine?
Wine terminology can make the uninitiated feel quite dizzy. Do you also nod along enthusiastically, while having no idea what the sommelier means by New World wine? We’ll explain.
The difference is actually quite simple: in short, Old World wine comes from Europe and North Africa, while New World wine comes from the rest of the world. Think South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Australia and the US, for example. In the Old World, wine has been made since the thirteenth century, while in the New World this only began a few centuries later.
Not just location
The clearest difference is therefore location, but that’s not the only one. The Old World has strict rules when it comes to making wine. All processes have to follow a certain method. In the New World, there are hardly any rules, which means winemakers have much more freedom and can be more innovative when producing their wine.
New World wine is often more consistent in flavour than Old World wine because it is produced on a large scale. Producers buy grapes and blend them from different years, keeping the flavour consistent. With Old World wine, the flavour generally varies much more from one vintage to another.
Full-bodied vs. restrained
In terms of flavour, New World wine is often described as fruitier, fuller and more powerful than the restrained wines of the Old World. Try a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire and one from New Zealand to taste the difference. In the latter, you’ll probably taste much more ripe, tropical fruit, while the former is much crisper and brighter.
More and more European wine producers are becoming less strict about the rules. Conversely, an increasing number of New World wines are being produced on a small scale, meaning that the flavour does vary between vintages. The differences between the two worlds are slowly fading, but overall, these are the distinctions.
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