The Differences Between Old World Wines and New World Wines

In wine vocabulary, you may have heard of an “Old World Wine” versus an “New World Wine.” Let’s take a quick look at these two ‘worlds’ and how they differ.

Old World Wines

Old World Wines are primarily from Europe, including countries like France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Portugal.

  • Terroir Focus: Old World wines emphasize the concept of terroir, which refers to the unique environmental factors (soil, climate, topography) that influence the grapes and ultimately the wine. Wines are often identified on the label by the region where the grapes are grown and where the wine is produced instead of the grape used to produce the wine.

  • Tradition and Regulation: These wines often must adhere to strict regulations regarding the grape varieties that can be grown, the winemaking techniques, and aging processes and durations.

  • Subtlety and Complexity: Old World wines tend to be more subdued in flavor, showcasing subtle fruit flavors, earthy notes and minerality. They often require considerable aging in order to develop their full character.

  • Well Known Regions

  • Bordeaux (France): Known for blends primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

  • Chianti (Italy): Made primarily from Sangiovese grapes.

  • Rioja (Spain): Often a blend, typically featuring Tempranillo.

New World Wines

New World Wines come from countries outside Europe, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa.

  • Fruit-Forward Style: New World wines are often more fruit-driven and expressive, with big, bold flavors and aromas. This is partially due to different climate conditions as well a winemaking techniques.

  • Innovation and Flexibility: Winemakers in New World countries have more freedom to create unique blends. This has led to diverse styles and unique interpretations of classic varietals.

  • Less Emphasis on Terroir: While some New World producers are increasingly focused on terroir, many wines prioritize varietal characteristics over the influence of specific regions.

Well Known Regions

  • California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley: Known for their rich fruit flavors and oak influence.

  • Mendoza Argentina: Known for typically bold and jammy Malbec, with dark fruit flavors.

  • Australia’s Barossa Valley: Known for Shiraz that often showcases its intense fruitiness and spice.

Both Old World and New World wines offer unique experiences and flavors, catering to various palates. Exploring wines from both categories can provide a deeper understanding of the diversity and artistry in winemaking. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Trefethen Merlot

2016 Trefethen Family Vineyards Merlot ($36)

Pioneers in the Napa Valley, the Trefethen family are champions of estate grown wines. For three generations, they have carefully tended to their land, employees, and customers, building a loyal following for their legacy of fine, age-worthy wines with a deep integrity of place.

 Embodied in their approach is a profound respect for both people and place. This extends beyond the boundary of their estate, knitting them into the fabric of Napa Valley. Over the past 50 years, they helped establish the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve, co-founded the Napa Valley Grapegrowers, took on leading roles within the Napa Valley Vintners and California Wine Institute, led the effort to build the viticulture and winemaking centers at Napa Valley College, supported the same at UC Davis, hosted the Napa Valley Cooking Class, and established the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA. Their contributions to the wine industry go beyond the wines they make, and help inspire the Napa Valley to live up to its own great expectations.

This Trefethen Family Vineyards wine is a blend of 86% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Malbec from the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. It is deep ruby in color with aromas of black fruit and dried fruits along with hints of its oak aging. On the palate, this medium-full bodied wine is dry (14.2% ABV) with rich flavors of black fruit, notes of red cherry and balanced acidity.

This Trefethen Merlot is an excellent wine from the premier Napa Valley. And, a great value too! This makes it a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Ever Wonder? Here's How to Properly Store an Opened Bottle of Wine

It happens. You open and bottle of wine but don't finish it. Now what?  Well, you a have a couple of options.

First, it's best if you can limit wine's exposure to air.  Exposure to air will tend to take the life out of it. So, it's best to use a device that can remove the air from the bottle and seal it.  There are several such inexpensive devices that will do this.  They consist of bottle stoppers and a vacuum pump.  After placing the rubber stopper in the bottle, you simply hand-pump the bottle to remove the air.  First issue resolved!

The second thing you should do is to keep the wine cool. Any kind of heat of 65 degrees F or higher will also ruin a wine. If it's a white wine, simply put it in the refrigerator.  It will keep nicely for 1-3 days. When you're ready to finish the bottle, just take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you intend to drink it.  That way it'll be at the right temperature.  If it's a red wine, you can also put it in the refrigerator or simply store it in a nice cool spot that gets little or no sun exposure.  In the refrigerator, a red is probably only going to hold up well overnight. So, be sure to enjoy the rest of the wine the next day.

Of course, the easiest way to avoid the problem all together is to finish the bottle!  But when that's not an option, simply try to limit the open bottle's exposure to air and keep it cool.  Then finish the bottle soon. Cheers! 

Photo by Christine Isakzhanova on Unsplash

Behind the Cork™ - Fiol Extra Dry Prosecco DOC

Fiol Extra Dry Prosecco ($19)

As we bid farewell to summer and “Hello” to the Fall, there’s no shortage of excuses to raise a glass of bubbly in the months that lie ahead.

“FIOL” means “son” in the Venetian dialect, but these days is more commonly understood to denote a natural leader or friend within a group who happens to stand out. The drive behind FIOL was to produce Prosecco in the authentic style, from the Prosecco heartland in Treviso.

Behind FIOL are childhood friends Gian Luca Passi and Giovanni Ciani Bassetti, whose families have lived and farmed in the Prosecco heartland of Treviso for generations.

The striking FIOL label, designed by FIOL co-founder Gian Luca Passi, features five vertical lines, both a stylized nod to the poles used to support the vines, and a reference to tradition and modernity.

FIOL Extra Dry Prosecco DOC is produced using the Charmat Method, in Stainless Steel tanks, to preserve the fresh and vibrant flavors using 100% Glera grapes. It undergos 40-days of secondary fermentation in tank for extra depth and complexity. [ABV: 11 %, Residual Sugar: 16 g/L (i.e., Extra Dry)]

This FIOL Prosecco is a beautiful pale straw color with subtle floral and citrus aromas. On the palate, this Prosecco has delicate notes of lemon along with refreshing acidity and a touch of tartness on the finish. While this is an “Extra Dry” Prosecco (13 g/L of residual sugar), it’s not sweet - the acidity does a wonderful job of making this a well-balanced bubbly. [ABV: 11%l]

This FIOL Prosecco is great as an aperitif, along with everyday meals or a real treat for special occasions. And, at this price, is a great value! That makes it the perfect fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week! Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Fiol Prosecco DOC

Italian Sparkling Wines - Prosecco and Asti

France has its Champagne. Spain has Cava. In Italy, Prosecco and Asti are its two most popular sparkling wines.

Prosecco is primarily from the Veneto region of Italy and made from the Glera grape.  Like Champagne, Prosecco must be produced in designated regions of Italy to be called Prosecco on the label. Unlike Champagne and Cava that undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle (the 'traditional method'), Prosecco is produced using the Charmat ('transfer') method.  Using this process, large quantities of wine are kept under pressure in stainless steel tanks during the second fermentation.  The resulting sparkling wine is then bottled.

While most people can't tell the difference in the secondary fermentation process used, it is generally believed that the traditional method results in smaller, more persistent bubbles, while the transfer method results in lighter bubbles, being almost frothy, and having a creamier feel in the mouth.  

Prosecco tends to be fruiter than Champagne and usually sweeter. Prosecco has been described as having flavors of melon, peer, apple, honey suckle and cream.  There are three main styles of Prosecco: Brut has up to 12 gram per liter of residual sugar, while Extra Dry has 12-17 gm/liter and Dry has 17-32 gm/liter.  Prosecco also tends to be lower in alcohol, around 11-12%  And, nice entry-level bottles of Prosecco are easily found in the $15 - $20 range. 

Asti is another popular sparkling wine from Italy. It is produced in the Piedmont region around the towns of Asti and Alba from the Moscato Bianco grape.  Originally known as 'Asti Spumante' (spumante means fully sparkling), the name was shortened to just Asti in 1993 when it received its official designation.  This fully sparkling wine has an alcohol content around 8% to 9% by volume. Sharing the Asti designation is Moscato d'Asti that is also made from the Moscato Bianco grape. This sparkling wine is typically in the frizzante style (frizzante means lightly sparkling). Like Asti, Moscato d'Asti is made using the transfer process, but the fermentation is stopped quite early, resulting in a sparkling wine that is sweet, has fewer bubbles and is low in alcohol (5-6%). Because Moscato d'Asti is lightly sparkling, it is typically packaged with a standard bottle and cork. Both Moscato d'Asti and Asti sparkling wines can be found in the $10 - $20 range.

These Italian sparkling wines are not meant for aging and should be consumed young and fresh. So pick up a bottle or two, chill them, and enjoy them right away. Cheers!