Old World Vs New World Wine, Explained

The world of wine is a fascinating mix of ancient history and modern practices that come together to create a global phenomenon. Whether you're partial to vintage or new artisanal bottles, you may not know the full origin of your wine and what makes it an old world or new world variety. As self explanatory as it may seem, the answer might actually surprise you. To gain a more sophisticated understanding of the wine world, we spoke to May Matta-Aliah, president of In The Grape, who provided some valuable insight. 

While it's true that most old world wines come from Europe — particularly Italian grapes, which are just built different — that's not their defining characteristic. Matta-Aliah shared, "Most old world wine regions are cooler than their new world counterparts," which allowed them to develop historically traditional wine-making methods. "As such[,] it was generally considered that the old world wines led with their structure while the new world ones led with their fruit flavor," the wine expert said. So, warmer areas like the Americas and Africa adopted old world practices and turned them into new world techniques that better suited their climate and grape varieties. The wine production techniques practiced today are generally universal, and the largest distinctions between wine are based largely on philosophy. However, if you're interested in old world versus new world wine, it's best to look at the wine's fermentation process, not just where the label says it is from.

As May Matta-Aliah mentions, there are many characteristics that are taken into consideration when defining old world wine. Aside from the beverage's primarily European and Middle Eastern origins and cooler climates, old world wines can also be distinguished by a lighter body and more acidic, mineral taste. This is likely due to the 'terrior' — the soil or terrain in which the grapes are grown — that can affect not only the wine's taste, but also its production.

So how does one best enjoy old world wine? Matta-Aliah noted, "Typically, wines from the classical wine regions of Europe — which is what we are referring to when we say 'old world' — pair well with the food from their regions, so following that adage of what grows together goes together." If you've traveled to Europe, you've likely seen this reflected in local wine accompanying local dishes. It's not uncommon to see a locally sourced goast cheese paired with a Sancerre, or a glass of Chianti served alongside a Florentine steak. 

With old world wines, where a grape is best acclimatized is also important. Matta-Aliah explained this further using Pinot Noir as an example, which is "known to be a 'fussy' grape ... It typically performed better in its hometown of Bourgogne (aka Burgundy) as it was often planted in the new world in areas that were too warm for the grape to really shine."

Remember that new world wines are essentially the descendants of old world wines with new spins on them, resulting from a climate adjustment. This led to wines that we now know to be more fruit forward with a higher alcohol content — something you'd likely find in California, for example. Because of this, new world wines don't pair as naturally with old world recipes, like how the world's oldest alcoholic beverage would taste odd next to a bowl of Kraft Mac and Cheese. However, as May Matta-Aliah reminded wine fanatics, "In the New World, one of the new 'classic' pairing is a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir with an herbed and slow roasted Wild Pacific King Salmon." It's all about knowing your regional surroundings.

When it comes to new world wine, location and grape variety both contribute to successful growing. key The wine expert said, "Sauvignon Blanc is tolerant of a range of climates as long as it is not too hot, as such we can find good examples of wines produced from that grape coming from the Casablanca Valley in Chile, to Marlborough in New Zealand, to Sancerre in France." A fair amount of trial and error and patience is required to give grapes the proper T.L.C. they need to thrive in a new environment in order to create a successful new world wine. But, as much as we may enjoy the classics, new world wines are a reminder of how traditional methods can lead to delicious new pairings.