Old World & New World Wines: Exploring the Nuances
– delving into the diversity - an adventure awaits!
After my interview last week with Mihaela Cojocaru on her podcast called SoMe, I got reminded of something I feel is super important in terms of wine communication.
Terminology.
More importantly, the succinct and precise definition of said terminology.
But keep in mind that wine terminology, like most things worth talking about, is …
nuanced and subjective!
Additionally, the wine world is full of exceptions! So, you put your groovy glasses on and see everything with …
SHADES OF GRAPE! 😊
Oh, here we go!
At Cork Wine Store where I work on Wednesdays, I often ask customers: “Do you typically drink Old World wine (European) or New World wine (non-European)?”
It gives me a reference point for what style they are attracted to and their palate preference and sensitivities.
Refer to the Wine Folly Chardonnay pictogram below. The earthy to fruity spectrum, on the y-axis, could be re-named with New World on the fruity end and Old World on the earthy end. Note this is a generalization, as the Old World now makes New World style wines and vice versa.
Groovy glasses activated!
Notice how the wines shown on the top half of the diagram – the fruity end of the scale - are all new world wines.
Okay, but FIRST - Let me ask you (weird italic being who interacts with me here). What does fruity mean?
Easy!
It means sweet!
Yup, this is what I was afraid of.
What? I am proud of my answer!
Many people will have that same answer. I understand, our tongue associates fruity flavors with fructose, which is sweet. While some of the world’s wines have varying degrees of sweetness, all the ones in this diagram are dry. Fruity does not mean sweet by definition.
To be practical, let’s replace the term fruity with fruit driven, fruit dominant, or fruit forward. These are good terms to describe New World wines since these wines typically emphasize their fruit flavors.
Now, on the bottom half of the diagram, Old World wines are represented. European (a.k.a. Old World) wines tend to be more earthy - in other words more savory - than non-European (a.k.a. New World) wines. These Old-World wines still have fruit flavors - and in some cases plenty of fruit flavors - but typically these flavors don’t take center stage. They also display considerable aromas and flavors of an earthy nature.
Earthy? I do not get it.
Examples of earthy aromas and flavors are wet stone, saline, savory, mineral, earth, tar, smoke, steel, and wet wool.
Generally speaking, the Old World wine style is not overtly fruit focused, while for the New World wine style the opposite is true: it tends to be fruit forward, particularly riper fruit.
These riper fruit flavors are typically directly related to the ripeness of grapes. The riper the grape, the riper its skins and seeds, which is where the tannins come from. Tannins in red wine are what create the drying sensation and can be bitter or astringent. The riper the tannins, the softer, more supple, and more integrated the tannins are in the wine.
These ripe grape tannins can still be high in concentration, but also be more subtle, more in the background. This means that some drinkers may not be aware there are any tannins present, particularly drinkers who are less sensitive to tannins to begin with.
This greater grape ripeness is also the reason the non-European (New World) wines have a higher concentration of fruit. It also makes them more accessible to consume without food.
On the other side of the ocean, European winemakers generally pick grapes earlier. The grapes are typically not allowed to achieve the same ripeness as the New-World wines. Producers want to ensure sufficient acidity remains in the grape. (As a grape ripens, the acidity drops and sugar rises.)
Would that not result in tannins that are less ripe?
Yes.
There are multiple traditions at play here that explain this. Many Euro wines:
came from regions that in the past struggled to reach sufficient grape ripeness. Some still do.
are intended to be paired with food, so tannins do not have to be super soft, as the tannins are broken down by interaction with the protein and fat in our food. Higher acidity in the grapes results in higher acidity wines which pair very well with food.
are expected to bottle age. This ageing gave the tannins the time to integrate and soften.
The result is that European winemakers are less concerned with the tannins being integrated and wine being ready to be enjoyed out of the bottle upon release onto the market. Some wines will require ageing in the bottle - either at the winery, in your cellar, or wine cooler. In some cases, decanting will suffice.
Should we continue while discussing a wine?
The Grape: Syrah a.k.a. Shiraz
Which one are we going to talk about?
Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape. It has evolved such that when the style is Old World, producers will call the resulting wine Syrah, and if the style is New World, Shiraz.
The Wine: Langmeil Shiraz Valley Floor Barossa.
It is a CLASSIC new world wine. The red fruit that is present is ripe. In fact, I defined the strawberry flavors as very ripe strawberry. There is also lots of blue and black fruit. The fruit has elements of jam without being jammy. There is a richness to this fruit, as if the jam is mixed with a little cream cheese, making it rich but not jammy.
The wine also shows non-fruit flavors, but fewer than the fruit ones, namely eucalyptus, chocolate, cocoa, and earth.
The tannins are very ripe, chalky, and very well integrated, so much so I decided that it didn’t need decanting as it was very expressive, and the tannins were very accessible.
Due to their ripeness, I imagine!
(Someone is paying attention!)
But this wine still benefited from oxygenation. On Day 2, the flavors were brighter and more defined.
Any final words?
I would like to come back to the higher-level comparisons of Old World vs. New World style differences. A classic Old-World style is more subtle than a New World style wine. The volume or intensity of aromas and flavors is not screaming at you to pay attention to it. It is using its inside voice volume and uttering gentle wine flavors in your ears. Wanting you to pay attention on your own terms when you are ready. Like how a cat waits to make his presence known when you get home. It hangs out around the corner.
Conversely, a New World wine style can be more brash. A little more direct in its approach. It does not leave you guessing. It is saying, at a crowded room volume, that it would like your attention now! Like the friendly dog barreling down the hallway, racing to get to you before the rest of the family.
But you never said which is better?
There is no such thing. It depends on the drinker’s preferences, palate sensitivities, and mood. It depends on the occasion, and whether it will be consumed with or without food. If with food, the food flavors and structure will influence the best wine choice. For example, Barbecue and Chimichurri sauces pair well with New World wines, while tomato based and high acidity foods sing with Old World wines.
Remember, wine is an exploration and we as people change in terms of palate, diet, and social situations. Be open to wine adventures!
Langmeil Valley Floor Shiraz 2020 from Barossa Valley, Australia
(I had the 2019 about a year ago and I would recommend it.)
(Note: We are currently sold out but will receive our shipment this Wednesday mid-afternoon March 27, 2024)
Style: New World Full Body Red
Varieties: 100% Shiraz
This rich high-fruit concentration wine with very ripe strawberry, ripe red cherry, blueberry, black plum, blackberry flavors, eucalyptus with complexity of chocolate, cocoa, earth. It has ripe, chalky well-integrated tannins and a persistent finish.
Best pairings: Grilled Ribeye Steak Seasoned with Cracked Black Pepper & Sea Salt, BBQ Ribs, Lamb Chops, Spicy Sausage Pizza, Beef Stew, Spicy Genoa & Calabrese,
Serving Temperature: 16 degrees Celsius
Price: ~$33 (incl. Shades of Grape 15% discount & 5% gst)
Serving Tips: Decant for 30 - 60 minutes.
I have compiled all my wine recommendations in one place. I will do my best to keep this up to date. I also include the link(s) to the article in which the wine was featured.
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SOURCES:
Jackson, N. (2022) Beyond flavour: Wine tasting by structure. 2nd edn. Nick Jackson.
Robinson, J. (2015) The oxford companion to wine. 4th rev. ed. Corby: Oxford University Press.