How-To: Tell the Difference between Old and New World Wine

Of course, the easiest way tell if its a bottle is an Old World or New World is the read the label. But there are some differences in styles between the two as well.

In a general sense, Old World wines seem to adhere more closely to the idea of terrior, and manipulate the grape less to allow the sense of place to shine through. Often, tradition defines how grapes are grown, and how wines are made in each region. Especially in France, the style of wines can often be described as "austere" or subtle in their flavors.

In contrast, New World regions tend to more technical wines, as each different region without a long history of wine making works to figure out what grapes and styles of wine work best. Science often plays a bigger part than nature, and the personal style of an individual winemaker may have more of an opportunity to show through. The style of wines seem to lead to younger, full-flavored wines.