There are many ways in which New World and old European wineries could be
said to differ from one another. We do not wish to say that one way of making
wine is better than the other. But we believe that as newcomers to the old
European winemaking heartland, our initial modern image probably helped us
attract more interest than we would have received, had we simply copied local,
traditional methods.
Old Europe is Based on Typicity
and Tradition
To present a caricature, we could claim that "The Old European Winemaker"
makes wine whose qualities inhere in its origins in a tradition. The wines
nearly always receive their names from their place of origin. Their
classification is based mainly on their authenticity and not necessarily so much
on their actual quality. This also applies to Bordeaux. The winemaker is thus
looking to make a product typical of its "terroir". In French the term "terroir"
does not mean only the soil but also the other factors which affect the growing
of the grapes. Such factors are microclimate, the slope of the land, the density
at which the vines are planted, as well as the way the vines are pruned and
trained.
In a way, for the Old World winemaker, looking for the style of each wine is
like glancing into the rear-view mirror of his car. This means that the wines
tend to remain 'typical'. In fact there are many factors which make the
winemaker continue to be a traditionalist in outlook. Besides regulations and
laws, there are outsiders' expectations to be considered. The maker's own
experiences and preferences will also direct the style of the wines that are
made. Even financial matters may hinder changes, since many wineries are small,
family enterprises. However, perhaps the most conservative link in the chain
really is the faithful client, who expects to have a product similar to the one
made last year and the year before. Our aim in our earlier days of winemaking
was to be different to our neighbours. Today we are slowly becoming more
traditionalist in our approach to winemaking. Authenticity is gaining importance
in our thinking.
New World Starts From the Marketplace
New World winemaker starts more or less from scratch. Unlike colleagues in
Europe, he or she does not necessarily need to respect traditions and existing
clients in the same way as his or her counterparts in Europe need to. Starting a
new endeavour, the entrepreneur will have to look at financial aspects very
carefully. This will most often mean rather large wineries and operations, thus
bringing down costs and gaining from economies of scale. As the wineries then
operate on a relatively large scale, much effort is put in to ensure a "secure"
success.
Perhaps it would be fair to say that in the winemaking countries of the New
World, new techniques and the results of scientific research are more readily
and fully utilized than in Europe, where old handling methods already exist. The
new winemaker is also more likely to approach the task from the point of view of
the customer. This means "customer-friendly wines" which are easy to drink and
enjoy. Further, the target consumers may not have strong, preconceived ideas
about what the wine should be like, and they are more open-minded with respect
to new wines and to their styles.
This approach is clearly less romantic compared to the traditional European
outlook. The winemakers listen more to the marketing people, and in many cases
they are also more connected with the business side of the operations. The
larger the companies, the more this seems to apply.
In Europe, the "Appellation d'Origine" - system was established to stop
fraud, that is, to make sure that no more Beaujolais was sold than was made. But
this system was also developed to market the wines of various winemaking regions
- to give them an identity. Today we see that words "character" and
"personality" are also being used in connection with various wines from the New
World - e.g. Australian Coonawarra and Californian Napa Valley.
Two different approaches to winemaking:
| TRADITIONAL EUROPE | NEW WORLD |
| Farming | Industry |
| Small-holders | Economies of Scale |
| Name comes from the origin of the wine | Name given by the maker |
| Production-oriented approach | Customer-oriented approach |
| Nature does the work | Winemaker directs the process |
| Art | Science |
| Traditions are respected | Open to change |
| Differences from year to year | Commercial uniformity |
| Drunk mainly with food | Easily accessible even on its own |
