Dear wine lovers,
These last decade has seen the multiplication of new world wines. If some people tend to think that these wineries like Jacob's Creek, Gallo... produce industrial brands, should we systematically oppose wines of the new world to those of our old Europe ?
In fact, there are many similarities between these wines. Beginning with the grape varieties used, which are issued from the best clones. Also, methods of wine making are more and more uniform and sometimes the same winemakers make wines in the autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and then travel to the Southern Hemisphere in the spring.
In Europe, above all it is the "terroir" (combination of climate, soil and tradition) that dominates. This idea of "appellation contrôlée" guarantees the area authenticity and permits the soil to express the best of its potential. This is the result of centuries of accumulated know-how where we have realized which grape variety adapts itself best to which climate and soil.
This notion of soil associates itself as well to the concept "Chateau," and the idea that vines belong to the same vineyard and are transmitted from generation to generation. Because of this, a traditional vineyard will often have a lot of old vines which, due to their age, will have developed a profound "racine*" system permitting auto-sufficiency in water and food. These roots descend into the far reaches of the soil to take in all of its complexity and will produce unique grapes and eventually exceptional wines. On the other hand, the yield is low, but, as the vines have been passed down from the family, there is no quantitative production necessity, in regards to financial issues.
These qualificative aspects are not exclusive to "Old Europe". Proof that two different worlds do not exist in these matters: certain wine-makers in Oregon have created the DRC (Deep Root** Coalition) to prohibit irrigation in the Willamette Valley and in reference to Domaine de la Romanée Conti where vines are there often over one hundred years old !
The truth is that new world wineries tend to put financial and marketing aspects first since wine is a business before a passion. Merlot, planted in the plain of Napa Valley with automatic watering systems (where there is no justification for planting such grape vines considering the rich soil in that area) is the typical example of how wine industry considers producing grapes.
But these models are also in Europe now. Recently, I have heard about Chardonnay planted in the Languedoc where continental climate, necessary for this grape variety, is inexistent.
Most of the time grape varieties planted in such areas produce uniform wines and
respond, above all, to productivity norms driven by investors who have nothing to do with passion and quality.
So, as you see, the big differences between new world and old Europe wines tend to disappear. Now you find the notion of terroir in New Zealand or in Chili and there are more and more indistrial wineries in Europe. The very distinction is no longer on geographic aspects but on the way to produce wine, being the result of a passion or being a financial investment.
Yes, in wine also, globalization is there.
Cheers,
Jean-Marc Espinasse
Any comments, edits are very welcome at [email protected]
*Listen to "Racine" : Download Racine.wav
**Root = Racine
PS : Less popular than Sideways but very instructive about this problematic is the movie Mondovino. Find more about it visiting : http://www.winemega.com/mondovino_e.htm
