Difference between New World and Old World

I have no idea what New World and Old World wine is and what the difference between the two are. My general understanding are the techniques used in making wine. There must be more to it. 

Wine is grown in certain countries and some can trace their vines back to the Roman empire. These countries are Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Austria. These regions are classic wine growing regions and are therefore are classified as Old World style wine.  The New World wine growing regions are Australia, United States of America, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand among many others. 

The other way to differentiate between the two is the terroir. In Old World, the wine is terroir driven. Let me quickly explain terroir; it is basically the soil, climate, rain, temperature, hours of sunlight, water retention, slope and drainage and other environmental factors that give the wine certain characteristics such aroma and unique flavour. It is the reason why people can tell the difference between an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon and a French Cabernet Sauvignon. New World wines are less geared towards terroir.

And yes, there is a difference in New World and Old World techniques. In the Old World they rely more on terroir. While the New World are a lot more flexible on growing and making wine though they do consider environment an important factor in growing wine. 

The main differences between Old and New are the countries, terroir and techniques. On top of all this the two are colliding. Many New World vineyards are adopting Old World techniques and visa versa but you do still get your traditionalist that will only stick to the Old World. 

For me all this means is that there is more to explore in world wide wine, the new www.  

Peace,

Cristian

Benefits of wine

Wine is currently known to help the heart by preventing the hardening of the arteries. This is possible because the tannins in the wine provide certain chemical properties that help prevent the hardening of arteries. These tannins also contain anti-oxident properties that prevent cellular damage. More detailed information can be found here.

This is where it gets interesting for me, what are tannins? Simply, they provide that grip on the tongue, or dryness. I like to best describe it as velcro on your tongue. The more tannin in the wine, the more dryness on your tongue. The tannins come from the skin, seed and stalk of grapes, see picture below. Apologies for the quality, picture taken on the phone. 

Geddes, R 2011, A good nose and great legs

Next time you have a grape, as unpleasant as it may seem, bite down on the seeds and feel what textures you are left with. Do the same with the skin and the little stalk that is left on the end of the grape. This is what generates tannin in the wine and the more contact the wine has with these elements of the grape the more tannin there is going to be in the wine.

Now that we know what tannins are and what they do for us not only in our mouths but for our bodies, we can now appreciate wine even more. Enjoy your next glass!

Peace

What's with the scoring?

Wine is given a score out of 100, the closer the wine's score is to 100, the better the wine. There is also a rating out of 5 stars, again the closer to 5 stars, the better the wine.

Scoring a wine is left up to the professionals but they don't have the same tongue that you or I do. We all have different tastes. Similarly, not everyone likes spicy food while others love their food with spices. The same with wine, somebody might score a wine, a shiraz for example, a 96/100 but not everyone will enjoy that shiraz. 

Here is a link that I use consistently to appreciate the wine that I enjoy, along with a video showing that a wine does not need to be bought on rating but enjoyed with friends, family, colleagues or wine lovers to make a memorable lunch, dinner or night. 

Peace

More than just sight, smell and taste

There is so much more to wine that just what you see, smell and drink. There is also the processes that a grape goes through to make wine. If a grape had feelings it would be in so much pain :). From what the winemaker has decided to do with the grapes to how the wine is produced, which grapes are selected and which grapes the winemaker decides to blend. On top of all of this, you get the sensations that wine gives you; you can be in deep thought, almost to the point of meditating, long into the night with all the conversations you have had with the people around you. A night filled with laughter, sadness, memorable moments, a celebration or just a meal with close friends or loved one.

This is why, personally, there is truth in "Wine...the intellectual part of the meal" (Alexandre Dumas - 1873). What an absolutely awesome quote! We can talk so much more about this delectable drink that must be the oldest drink only second to water. The history of wine is such a fascinating one, from the Greeks and Romans, especially the Romans. The Romans conquered the majority of what we now call Europe and everywhere they went they would plant grape vines but what the Romans also did was to develop wine making processes that are still currently in use.

Wine history is such an interesting and exciting part of wine, which is why I will make Inventing Wine by Paul Lukacs my next book and other blogs as part of my reading .

Peace

Introduction

This is where I, like many others, express my love for wine, the wine process and the enjoyment of drinking wine. 

My aspiration is to become a person you can go to and ask for wine advice. A wine connoisseur if you will and this is my journey into that space. The space of vines and wines, bottles and glasses, design and labels, pops and fizzes, sight and colour, smell and aromas, taste and flavours, taste and texture.

A journey that begins now with my passion of wine and all the types of wine there are out there, from red to white to champagne to bubbles to desert to ports or winter warmers as I like to call them. Even the history and what other people have done and influenced the wine industry. 

I hope that you will learn as much as I will on this journey into the wine space.