"Today's World of Wine" by: Michel A. Atlas

Continued from last issue dated March - April 2007:
Renewal after devastation

In the 1880’s, the whole world of wine is struck with total devastation. The phylloxera louse is spreading like straw fire and no part of the world will be spared. Tens of thousands of vineyards all over the world, planted with Vitis vinifera vines, are dying without remission, creating one of the most dramatic agricultural tragedies in the modern world. Only native American rootstock seemed unaffected; these vines had developed a natural immunity to this indigenous pest. That is where the solution to the terrible disease was to be found! The American entomologist Charles Riley and botanist Thomas Munson grafted the European vines on American rootstocks Vitis Riparia and Vitis Sylvestris, and this was the only way to save the vines.

So, the grafting of tens of thousands of tons of vines will take its course, not just in Europe but all over the world. The positive side of this situation is that replanting of all the vineyards will bring about a better quality of crops, well suited to all the geographical climates. In the beginning of the twentieth century, good quality wines are being produced everywhere on the planet, in two geographical zones subsequently known as Old World and New World of wines.

If you wish to choose a specific wine for a special occasion, here are a few useful tips and guidelines to follow:

- First of all, you need to determine if you’re going to serve wine as an aperitif drink, by itself, as an alternative cocktail drink or if you wish to choose wine to be served with the food. These are two distinctly different kinds of wine! You may want to start with one and then roll into the next one. Of course, wine and food pairing is an art all by itself; we will deal with this beautiful topic

one course at a time… Let’s say for now that you wish to serve a glass of wine as a starter, before serving the meal.

- Then, you need to determine the weather and climate at the time of the party; clearly you wish to serve a different wine for a summer party, or a winter one…

For Summer, a light, refreshing, white wine with a little natural sweetness will be ideal, such as a Riesling or a Pinot Grigio, or even a well balanced Chardonnay like a Pouilly-Fuissé… Don’t go for a Sauvignon Blanc, as this will be a little too acidic for aperitif, but perfect with seafood or shrimp on the first course.

For Winter, you will want something a little more full-bodied, like a Chenin Blanc or Viognier or a big California Chardonnay, or even a Meursault from Burgundy…

- If you’re choosing wine to accompany a fine meal for good friends, there is one thing you need to know: you will have guests who will be fond of Old World style, namely more charm, delicate balance and elegance, and you will have friends who are more fond of New World style, which means bolder, more aggressive, lavish wines with higher alcohol content. To be a good hostess, you will need to satisfy both and be prepared to serve both kinds during the meal.

Until you feel confident that you have acquired all the food and wine pairing skills that you need, we wish to offer the readers our free “customer service”. Write an e-mail to the Editor with your pairing requirement and dinner description, and we will happily have our expert team answer your quest and give some suggestions and advice…

A simple observation of how wine growing affects flavor leads us to the fact that there are two schools of thought on the subject: how the Old World views the process and how the New World views it. The Old World is largely defined as the European continent, including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and some Eastern European producers. It must be said that the Old World manufactures nearly 80% of the global table wine production. The New World includes the United States, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

The Old World places emphasis on the land imparting a distinct quality to a wine. This is also known as Terroir. The vineyard itself is sacred ground, and so are the subtleties of its soil. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Burgundy or in the great growths of Bordeaux. Climate and micro-climate, sunlight exposure and dominating winds are all part of the equation. Often these wines are described as more earthy, having more of an organic component to them.

In contrast, New World wines are often created by mixing and matching grapes from different vineyards (even as they stick to one grape variety like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah etc.) Average temperature and water requirements are the basic components determining the wine making skills in the New World.

It would seem that the wine lover never had it so good. The number of good and great wines produced on the planet is stunning and the number of top-performing wine producers is swelling out of proportion. The consumer has a better, wider offer than ever before in history. The problem is that such a situation generates much choice but also much confusion!

There are so many varieties of wines to choose from. Should we go for the New or the Old World styles of wine? What is the basic difference between the two approaches? It seems that one is more focused on grapes and the other one on location but how will these fit your own personal preferences? Which wine is more appropriate for your special occasion? How can you learn to taste for yourselves and trust your own inclinations rather than following some dictatorial and dogmatic rating systems?

In the following series of articles, we will attempt to answer these questions, give you a lot of practical knowledge about wine culture, tips and hints on how to taste varietals, discover how to assess the quality and even the greatness of a wine and find out how the world of wine became the amazing place it is today.

This all began in very ancient times. Wine is at the root of all cultures and is one of the foundations of Western civilization.

The story of wine is that of the human race, religion, medicine, war and science. It is imprinted with many of man’s agricultural breakthroughs and discoveries, and linked with his hopes and dreams. It is also associated to every form of festivity, celebration and rejoicing. Together with fine food, it is the cement of conviviality and the essence of “The Good Life”.
(To be continued…)