other questions
  • Cellaring - Oct '07
  • The good old wines - Nov '07
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    The Good Old Wines
    Are Old World wines really better than New World wines? How so? Or is this just old-fashioned snobbery? – Clueless

    MR BOOZE SAYS
    As with many debates, and debates that go on and on, each have their merits. Old World has certain good points and New World have some good point and both have a negative side to them. Each world though is extremely diverse and the spectrum of wines and winery found within each make it difficult to classify them according to a particular quality, characteristic or style.

    MS BOOZE SAYS
    The Old World tends to include wines made in the European nations – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and so on. They usually have a long history of viticulture. For example, in the vineyards of Burgundy and the Mosel in Pfalz, grapes have been grown to make wine for over 1,000 years.

    The New World on the other hand is a little tricky to define. Usually, they are from regions in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Yet, there are some wineries, which might have historical roots that do employ the modern methods typically found in these New World regions.

    If you ask me, such differentiation is really unnecessary because a good wine is a good wine, regardless of where it comes from.

    Send in your questions to Mr & Ms Booze.