Mark the old holiday with a new world wine

New world wines are from everywhere other than the European countries. New world refers to wines from North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. They are usually fruitier than the more earthy-tasting old world wines.

Old world producers rely on tradition more than science, and they are usually mired and regulated with winemaking laws and local regulations. They are often unable or unwilling to experiment and make changes. Winemaking in the new world has been subject to rapid changes and trends, and the winemakers are more willing and freer to experiment. As a result, new world wineries are grabbing an ever-increasing share of the market by being more responsive to the needs of the consumer.

The earliest new world vines were planted in Mexico in the early 1500s, followed shortly after by Peru, then Chile. The Dutch East India Company planted its first vines at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa in 1656 and British settlers planted vines in Virginia in 1620. In 1788, early settlers planted vines in Sydney, Australia and in 1820 an Australian planted vines in New Zealand.

There is an increasing similarity between the types of wine being produced by the two areas. The old world has had many centuries to experiment with and perfect their wines, and new world producers have tended to copy these proven varietals and methods of production. The new world still has huge potential for areas to plant vines and if global warming continues, grapes could flourish in regions closer to both the north and south poles.

New world wines are far more consumer-friendly, as the labels usually advise what grapes are used and the general style is designed to express the fruit of the wines. Old world wines, on the other hand, often give no indication of the grape varietal and tend to express the terroir, or their geographical provenance.

The concern — and almost obsession — with hygiene is also apparent with most new world producers and they tend to be more dedicated to this than their old world counterparts. Also, new world wines are generally ready to drink when purchased versus old world wines, which tend to be suitable for more extended and longer bottle aging. This is all changing as new and old worlds gradually move closer to one another.

Two wines that show how the old and new worlds have collided are made from the viognier (pronounced “vee ohn yay”) and carménère grapes. Both represent an excellent quality/value and there are several from both Chile and France that are excellent. Viognier produces full-bodied, golden-hued wines with a wonderful bouquet. I particularly enjoy its luscious fruit and am reminded of some of the similarities to good sauvignon blanc and dry riesling. Viognier can be among the most expensive of white wines, yet there are several priced between $15 and $20 that are superb.

Generally better-quality wines are made from carménère but due to its susceptibility to low yields, very few growers produce it. Chile appears to be its new home. Carménère is a deep-coloured, delicious, full bodied wine that for years was thought to be merlot. Not until 1991 did the Chileans discover that this wonderful “merlot” was, in fact, carménère. This delicious wine is rapidly enjoying a rise in popularity in both Chile and France, as it has some of the characteristics of merlot along with the structure of cabernet sauvignon. In Northern Italy, some vines that were thought to be cabernet franc were, in fact, carménère.

Try some of the delicious Chilean wines starting at about $14 per bottle. If it is a young wine of recent vintage I suggest you decant it about an hour before enjoying it as this will open up the fruity flavours, making for a more enjoyable drinking experience.

David Margesson is president of Winetasters of Muskoka, a wine club dedicated to the knowledge and understanding of wines through tasting. David and Nina Margesson can be reached at 705-765-3774.