New World
Definition - What does New World mean?
The New World, in the context of wine, is a term used to describe wines that are either grown outside of Europe and the Mediterranean or growing regions that are new to wine production.
Most New World wines come from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina. New World wines based much of their early production on European standards, but have since expanded and, in some cases, improved upon those ideals.
WineFrog explains New World
Wine production was introduced to the New World through centuries of European invasions and colonization. Although the European ideal left its mark on New World techniques, the viticulture and vinification processes were refined and enhanced to reflect the new environment and increased demand for large amounts of quality wines.
Production and Style - New World wines are grown to showcase varietal qualities instead of traditional geographic regions. Technology, not nature, plays a larger role in New World winemaking, mainly due to the benefits of modern agriculture. They generally have higher alcohol content and are more full-bodied, showing a greater propensity towards oak fermentation. They are also more fruit-forward and less tannic than traditional Old World wines.Labelling - New World wines were initially labelled in the same way as European wines, emphasizing growing regions and terroir. It was an inaccurate way of labelling New World wines they did not have a long history of regional associations that Old World wines still have to this day. The New World vineyards turned to a more informative method of labelling wine by varietal instead of region. Terroir can also be factored into some New World labels, thanks to winemakers’ better understanding of the soils and climates of their vineyards.
Ownership and Marketing- New World wine companies tend to be larger than those of the Old World and include many different vineyards under the same corporation. This makes them more susceptible to market trends.
