Countries that are classified as New World include the United States, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan and more. The different tastes in wine are usually affected by the winemaking style of the winemaker or the winery's direction.
Four varieties - Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay - account for over 90% of wine production, but New Zealand also excels in the production of an increasing range of popular styles and varieties – with Riesling, Syrah, and Bordeaux Blends leading the way, and everything from Albariño to Zinfandel ...
So if your wine comes from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Croatia etc, you are drinking Old Word wine. If it comes from the USA, Chile, South Africa, Australia, you're in New World territory – by the geographical distinction.
Old World wines, primarily, are from Europe – think France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal, as well as parts of the Middle East, the Balkans and Georgia. Any other winemaking country is then classified as New World.
In the Old World, Sauvignon Blanc is grown in quite a few different countries. The most renowned expressions are from the Loire Valley and Bordeaux, but it also shows up uniquely in Spain and Italy.
Sauvignon Blanc was commercially produced on our shores for the first time in the 1970s and is now New Zealand's most widely planted variety. There is increasing diversity of styles achieved through the use of wild ferments, degrees of lees contact, as well as fermentation and/or ageing in oak, both old and new.
Sauvignon Blanc is a white aromatic wine with notes of fresh herbs, ripe capsicum, citrus, melon, ripe gooseberry and passion-fruit. It is the fresh acid that really makes these wines special. Acid that dances across your tongue in the most enticing way.
Generally, the list of countries considered part of the old world are: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and Germany. And the list of countries considered part of the new world are: USA, Canada, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Old world: Merlot is a native of Bordeaux in south-west France and its most widely grown grape. An entry-level claret will have flavours that are unoaked, simple and fruity, drinkable young and very approachable.
Old World Examples
It's here you'll find the origin place of grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. These grapes are so influential in fact, that they're often referred to as “international varieties.”
Australia is mainly known for its Shiraz, or Aussiefied Syrah, and Chardonnay varietals. In fact, these two varieties alone account for 44% of its total wine production!
Australian Wine
The wine regions in Australia are Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. Shiraz and Chardonnay are the most popular Australian wines, so we were determined to find some lower calorie examples of these wines to bring to our customers.
Flavor Profiles
Old World wines tend to be lighter-bodied, lower in alcohol, have brighter acidity, and show more earth-driven flavors. New World wines are usually fuller-bodied, higher in alcohol, have lower acidity, and are much riper on the palate.
Sauvignon Blanc: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is the country's most famous wine with a distinctive flavor profile. The southern location and maritime climate of New Zealand produce exceptional wines with crisp acidity.
The wine is known for its intense and complex aromas, including tropical fruit, citrus, and herbal notes. The country's cool and maritime climate, combined with its diverse soil types and winemaking techniques, contribute to the distinctiveness of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
New Zealand has long been best known for its Sauvignon Blanc, which dominates its wine industry. In 2017, its vines took up 22,085 hectares (54,570 acres) of vineyard area, a full 60% of New Zealand's total grape planting, and Sauvignon Blanc wine made up 86% of the nation's exports.
The Old World designation refers to countries in Europe where modern winemaking techniques originated. These countries include France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Croatia, and England — all of which have had a major influence on the rest of the winemaking countries in the world.
Geographically, Old World Wines mostly come from Europe (and a few in the middle east). This includes France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Greece, Israel, the U.K., and Armenia all producing what is now considered Old World Wines.
We defined “Old World” as ones made in Europe, and “New World” as non-Eurasian, in our case, ones made in California, Oregon, New Zealand and Australia. Our conclusions were: 1) Very good Pinot Noir wines can be made in many different cool-climate wine regions, some of which surprised us.
Australia was first settled around 50,000 years ago, and New Zealand around 1250–1300 CE. Europeans first thought about the two countries together when Charles de Brosses, a French scholar, described an imaginary southern continent called 'Australasie' (south of Asia) in 1756.
New World showing the Americas and Oceania. The Old World is Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Countries that are classified as New World include the United States, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan and more.
New Zealand's climate and gravely soil make it a perfect home for the Sauvignon Blanc grape varietal; so much so that over 85% of wine exported from here is Sauvignon Blanc. With Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, and Nelson being primary producers of Sauvignon Blanc, even the regions themselves provide variations in the wine.
New Zealand experiences higher levels of UV light, due to its location in the southern hemisphere and low levels of air pollution. It is thought that these higher levels of UV exposure accentuate the vegetal pyrazine flavors in the wine. New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are bold wines with loads of flavor.
New Zealand will not be able to satisfy forecast global demand for Sauvignon Blanc in 2022, due to an exceptionally small harvest this year.