The dueling views about the differences, history, approach and character of wines from the Old World and the New World have always had the same implications: i.e. which wines are better. However, after 30 years of confrontation started in 1976 by the Judgment of Paris, today the two worlds have come much closer than anyone would have expected.

1. The main differences were once in viticulture and vinifica- tion practices and approaches. Vine management with clone selection suited to a particular climate, drip irrigation, vinification innovations (such as selection of cultured yeast and facilitation of malolactic fermentation), temperature control, oxidation control during fermentation, the rationalized use of sulphur dioxide and other antioxidants are all innovations, introduced in the New World. Today, however, they are imple- mented on a global scale.

2. Mass production vs. family estates – the reputation of the New World as a mass producer of uniform wines with a moulded identity was imposed, in order to distinguish them from the general idealistic view of traditional winemaking in Europe. This association of Europe with old “wine” is both romantic and appealing – green landscapes, dominated by vineyards and small family producers who have worked their own vineyards for centuries. However, this perception can be changed by one fact alone – the volume of wine produced by the appellations of Bordeaux is equal to 70% of the total wine production of Australia.

3. Climate – it is hard to find one common denominator for climate conditions in the Old World and the New World. The climate in the New World is generally considered warmer and more predictable than the climate in the Old World. Such an assumption is far from the truth but it is probably due to the new style introduced by such countries as Australia and the USA.

4. The familiar style of wines from the late 1990s with their expressed fruitiness, full body, soft tannins and alcohol content of 13% and more have become symbolic of the New World. At the same time, however, it has been copied by many estates geographically bound to the Old World. At present time the styles and approaches of the Old World and the New World have become relatively intertwined. Many European producers are offering wines possessing the expressive style as described above, whereas many winemakers from the New World seem to be trying to do the opposite. Their current style trends are based on minimal intervention, focus on terroir and the pursuit of finesse.

5. What does the customer want? – this question was asked for the first time in the New World. The Old World did not ask questions. It offered its traditions which they considered to represent the best possible.

6. History – there is no doubt that as far as history is con- cerned Europe leads the score. This is a good advertisement for tourists on organised wine tours in Saint-Émilion or Moselle. However, the truth is that the foundations of the wine industry in the countries of the New World were laid by settlers from Silesia, Croatia, France, Spain and Italy. Until recently locally produced wines labeled as Chablis or Sherry were sold openly on the Australian market – a clear indication of the strong bond between the immigrants and the wines they know.

7. Brand vs. appellation – this is probably the distinction which has most influenced the perception that the Old World and the New World are essentially different. Providing the consumer with an informative label was one of the revolutions in the world of wine in the 1980’s. In this way everyone would remember that the wine they like was called Chardonnay and was made in California, or Malbec from Argentina.

8. Legislation – contrary to the simplified approach of the New World, Europe for many years has persisted in offering an enigmatic maze of appellations which concealed style, variety and blend. Nowadays things have changed. Quite surprisingly France and Italy, the strongholds of winemaking, were the first to open up their wine legislation to allow for simpler labelling of certain wine categories.

9. Innovation – having set food on the familiar and common winemaking practices, oenologists and researchers from the New World are now the driving force behind practical innovations. The screw cap, bag-in-box and Vino-Lok are common, well established inventions which started in New Zealand, Australia and USA. Europe opposed these innovations for a long time, since in countries like Italy and Spain the use of cork was obligatory by law for wines with appellation. In this respect Europe is also changing, albeit slowly.

10. In the winemaking industry of the New World communication with private clients is much more informal, open and honest. It is quite typical for winemakers there to think like marketeers and to take charge of research and development. They consider this knowledge and information to be part of their profession.

Elissaveta Zaharieva