Old World vs. New World - A Tasty Comparison!

The Goddess of Wine and JD had some fun at Fossil Wine Bar in Atascadero last night with a group of eager and engaged students of wine. This was an opportunity to compare a few specific grape varieties made in different regions of the world.

Old World wine refers primarily to wine made in Europe but can also include other regions of the Mediterranean basin with long histories of winemaking such as North Africa and the Near East. The phrase is often used in contrast to New World wine which refers primarily to wines from New World wine regions such as the United States, Australia, South America and South Africa. 

Classes Return in 2021!

 

WE'RE BACK!

Back to Basics, that is!

It's the return of Wine 101!

Does wine jargon confuse you? 

Do sommeliers intimidate you? 

Does reading a wine list make you sweat? 

This is the class for you!

Join us at Fossil Wine Bar on August 2nd!

Click HERE for more info and to register for the event!

Rhone Valley vs. Paso Robles...

Wines of the night. Missing Seven Angels 'Chosen One'

Last month, the Goddess of Wine was challenged to compare Bordeaux to Paso; this month the challenge was the Rhone Valley vs. Paso. It was fun!

The Rhône Valley was created during the last ice age as the Rhône Glacier carved its way south through what is now France. Today, the Rhône River begins in the Alps and meanders for 505 miles to the Mediterranean Sea.

THE NORTHERN RHONE is only 40 miles long and is responsible for a tiny 4-5% of all the wines from the region. The climate is ‘Continental’ – hot summers, cold winters and precipitation throughout the year. Probably the most notable feature is the steepness of the hillsides. The vineyards are terraced to keep the soil from eroding, retain the warmth of the sun and make life a little easier for the vineyard workers! 

Bordeaux vs. Paso Robles...

The Goddess of Wine was challenged to create a comparison between old and newish wine regions: Bordeaux and Paso Robles. I endeavored to provide a tasty group of wines to demonstrate the best of both worlds.
 
The French region of Bordeaux is the traditional home of meaty, sophisticated, age-worthy reds, whites, and dessert wines. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon thrive. Red Bordeaux can be the epitome of fine wine. The best wines exhibit a wonderful complexity of aromas and flavors, great elegance and refinement and an ability to age gracefully - some for a hundred years.

Tasting Blindly...in Atascadero...

The Goddess of Wine had the opportunity to lead a group of students through a blind tasting at the Fossil Wine Bar in Atascadero. This is what I told them as we tasted through the 6 wines pre-poured for them.

The world of wine tasting often seems magical and esoteric. It’s not really. And it’s easier than you think to taste wine blind. In fact, you may be already using many of the techniques that so-called experts use. There are four basic steps to tasting wine – and these can be used whether or not you’re tasting blind:

Tasting Easter and Passover Wines...

The Goddess of Wine is so lucky! I was able to show two different groups of students delicious wines to enhance their Spring festivities. Thanks to Fossil Wine Bar in Atascadero and Morro Bay Wine Seller in Morro Bay for their partnership and willingness to bring in wines for me and my acolytes! Cheers!

It was the Old World vs. the New World...

The Goddess of Wine led a group of curious wine enthusiasts through a comparison of Old World wines and New World wines at the Fossil Wine Bar in the picturesque town of Atascadero last night.

Old World wine refers primarily to wine made in Europe but can also include other regions of the Mediterranean basin with long histories of winemaking such as North Africa and the Near East. The phrase is often used in contrast to New World wine which refers primarily to wines from New World wine regions such as the United States, Australia, South America and South Africa. 

The terminology is used to describe general differences in viticulture and winemaking philosophies between the Old World regions where tradition and the role of terroir lead versus the New World where science and the role of the winemaker are more often emphasized. 

In recent times, the globalization of wine and advent of flying winemakers have lessened the distinction between the two terms with winemakers in one region being able to produce wines that can display the traits of the other region—i.e. an "Old World style" wine being produced in a New World wine region like California or Chile, and vice versa.

Do Old World wines taste different than New World wines? Yes, they often do. The differences in Old World and New World wines come from winemaking practices (tradition) and from the effect of the land and climate on the grapes (the “terroir”).

• Old World wines are often described as tasting lighter, having less alcohol, having higher acidity, and tasting less fruity
• New World wines are often described as tasting riper, having higher alcohol, having less acidity, and tasting fruitier