Let the World Collide

By Jill Kwiatkoski, Sommelier (CAPS)

In wine circles, you will often hear references to “Old World” and “New World” wines—but what exactly is the difference? Let’s start at the beginning of time—or the beginning of wine anyway. In wine speak, the term “Old World” refers to wine regions in the continents of the Eastern Hemisphere (Europe, as well as some smaller regions in the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Asia) in contrast to the New World, composed of the Western Hemisphere (North America, Mexico, and South America) and the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand).

The Old World is rich in ancient history, culture, theology, art, science, philosophy, and, of course, viticulture! In countries such as Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain (where we source the majority of our Old World wines at Jones & Co.), viticulture, wine, and winemaking are deeply ingrained parts of their history and culture. Whether it’s a glass of Chianti with your pasta, a bottle of Burgundy with your duck à l’orange, a glass of Port with your stilton cheese, or a frasco of wine with your paella, there is always a bottle of wine on the dinner table in these countries (yes, even the children are allowed to have a sip at the dinner table).

The principle at the heart of Old World winemaking is that their wines express the terroir of their specific region—this is the essence of Old World wines. When you open that beautiful bottle of Maison Harbour Preau Côte de Nuits ($127.99), you are teleported to the heart of Burgundy: you can practically smell the air and taste the ancient soil the vines have grown in for decades. When you have that first sip of the glorious Zarate Albariño ($34.99), you can taste the salty Spanish sea air as the wine dances on your palate. Old World wines express the unique and specific characteristics of their regions. Their land shapes their wines.

I could talk about the Old World for days, but let’s explore the New World: the Americas, the Southern Hemisphere—the new kids on the block (no, not those cute ones from the ’90s boy band). New World countries were colonized by European settlers who brought their

history, culture, and way of life to these new-to-them worlds. Winemaking traditions in the New World are far more recent (meaning they have been producing wine for centuries, not millennia). The New World is often characterized by big, bold wines with higher alcohol; innovation and experimentation with different blends and non-traditional production methods; and modern labels and “fun” names for both wineries and wines.

New World wines tend to focus on the grape variety rather than where that grape variety hails from—and they are not shackled by the traditions and regulations that can shape Old World wine regions. When you open that bottle of Jax Cabernet Sauvignon ($101.99), you know it will be bursting with big juicy notes of black currant, black cherry, baking spice, and cedar that will take over your palate. You know that bottle of Undurraga Terroir Hunter Carménère ($42.99) will offer beautiful inky/purple juice with notes of grilled bell peppers, sweet/ smoky tobacco, blackberry, cherry, and cocoa powder because that is what Carménère promises. New World wines express the grape variety—they focus on what is inside the bottle rather than where that wine originates.

Comparing Old World to New World wines is a dance between history and the evolving wine world. This decadeslong evolution has seen Old World wineries experimenting with modernity in their wines and winemaking techniques— they are trying leading-edge production methods, novel varietal blends, cool graphic labels, and promoting their wines on social media. Evolution in the New World has seen producers showcase their terroir to highlight a sense of place, embrace their family winery traditions, and win awards on the world stage.

We make a distinction between Old and New World wines because they come from different traditions. But that is neither a good nor a bad thing! Whether you love Old or New World wines, always remember that wine is from a place. And that is important because wine is made by generations working land that has been through harvests that thrived and those that did not; it is part of history. And that, itself, is the beauty of the wine, no matter where in the world it comes from.

We use these categories of Old and New World to help people find the styles of wine that they love. If you prefer savoury, high acid, firmly tannic wines, then one of our wine experts might suggest a classic Old World wine, whereas if your tastes run to fruity, less acidic and riper tannins, then they might steer you to a New World wine. But the wine world is ever-evolving, so I recommend these Old World winemakers experimenting with new techniques:

OLD WORLD

Brancaia 2021 Tre Rosso Tuscany, Italy ($37.99)

Adega Cooperativa de Penalva 2020 Milénio Red Blend Dão, Portugal ($21.99)

Alpha Estate 2019 Hedgehog Xinomavro Amyndon, Greece ($37.99)

NEW WORLD

…and these New World winemakers looking to Old World traditions to find new expressions of their grapes:

Mullineux Family Wines 2020 Kloof Street Rouge Swartland, South Africa ($32.99)

Briar Ridge 2021 Cold Soaked Cabernet Sauvignon New South Wales, Australia ($28.99)

Tawse Vineyards 2020 Grower’s Blend Cabernet

Franc Niagara Peninsula, Canada ($31.99)