Different types of barrels impose different kinds of "toastiness" to the wines aged in them. Like how adding peanuts helped us control the crunchiness of our cake, ageing wine in barrels helps winemakers control the woody aromas of a wine. the oven for our cake, also effects how the wines turn out for a particular vintage, the year in which the wine was produced. Winemakers follow a basic "recipe" to make wines, but ultimately each winemaker wants to add a personal touch to their wines. The same kind of experimentation happens within wine styles. Or to add some crunch to your brownie, you decided to add some peanuts. Or perhaps you turn up your oven temperature a little higher to speed up the baking process and make the cake a bit drier. So you add a pinch of cayenne to turn it into an devilish chocolate cake with a little kick. Imagine you have a time-tested recipe for a devilish chocolate cake, but this time you want to spice it up. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question, because there are so many factors that contribute to a style of a wine. *Terroir: The natural environment including soil, climate and topographyĬharacteristics of Old World vs New World Wine This brings us to the question, how do these differences affect how the wines taste? While New World winemakers also value terroir, they are more open to switching it up by experimenting with the latest scientific advances and adopting modern winemaking techniques. So, many old world winemakers believe the best way to make wine is by following the time tested methods pioneered by their winemaking ancestors, who often turn out to be their own great-great-grandparents. Old World winemaking values tradition and terroir. *The combination of the natural environment where the grapes are grown, including soil, climate and topography of the region, and the different winemaking philosophies and practices used in the wine's production.
The simple answer to this is yes because wines are strongly influenced by what they call terroir*: Know nothing about Asian wines? Read our article Why You Should Drink Asian Wines Todayĭo Old World wines taste different to New World wines and why?
New World countries are the new kids on the block and are emerging wine producing countries such as the United States, Australia, South America, South Africa and more recently countries in Asia. Most notably France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal. They all have a long established history in winemaking. Old World countries are the traditional wine producing countries in Europe and the Middle East. The main differences between these terms is purely geographical and is based on how long the countries have been making wine. Read on so you can be an expert the next time you talk about old world and new world wines. When you're standing in the supermarket aisle staring at two seemingly identical bottles, do you feel like ripping your hair out? Have you ever wondered what the terms “Old World” and “New World” mean? What are old world wines? What are new world wines?