I realised yesterday that I’d written something without really explaining what I meant, so here’s my chance to put it right. I’d gone on a bit about Ant being a fan of picking New World wines as opposed to me who seems to be picking Old World wines. For those of you who haven’t the foggiest what that means, let’s have a go at explaining that.
The Old World is roughly the name given to wines made in Europe. Maybe you can think of it as the Old World of wine production. The New World is then anywhere else. I’m sure someone will correct me here and there, but that mind set has a lot to do with the idea of Europeans introducing the vines to certain countries as they explored and conquered a few hundred years back.
It’s not a fool proof naming system obviously when you think about just the geography. Some Old World sites are seriously old, with the ancient Greeks and then the Romans spreading the vines across Europe as they went from the original heartlands of the Middle East. But then in some countries, like Argentina, you’re looking at nearly 500 years since the Spanish turned up. Hardly newly planted right?
The names actually refer much more to style than geography. Especially as you think about new sites in Europe being opened up to the idea of vineyards yet are still referred to as “Old World”, it’s got everything to do with the taste and style of the wines produced.
Old World Sauvignon Blanc can vary between, say, Bordeaux and the Loire, but then compare them to a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile or New Zealand and you see why they get put in the “Old World” and “New World” camps. But we’ll chat about those tastes tomorrow.
Cheers
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