The incredibly array of winemaking terms make for a formidable dictionary of new words to learn if you’re a newcomer. If you’re lucky enough to be a connoisseur attempting to buy wine online, the plethora of tweakable searches aren’t intimidating in the slightest. But some of us just need to know what colour a wine will be, a little else. And to think: the websites are actually making it all a lot easier for us!. So called ‘New World’ wines are responsible for a massive shift in how we talk about wines, but the old ways of appraising things still remain pointedly relevant.
The change in question is the increasing emphasis on the grape type a wine is derived from, rather than the region in which it is grown. The Chablis, white Burgundies and Champagnes of the world are still internationally recognised, but the fact is that Chardonnay wine is staking its claim with ever more ferocity. ‘Californian wine’ is yet to be associated by name with any specific wine variety, in the way that we’ve traditionally seen in Europe.
The extent of the wine growing regions in the world have expanded with the world’s horizons. The word traditionally used to describe the geography, geology and climate in which a grape typically grows is ‘terroir’. ‘Terroir’ is still has a place in the wine lexicon, despite the best efforts of resilient grapes like Chardonnay, which have spread to virtually every wine growing region. The treatment, weather and soil that occur during wine production still create a remarkably subtle effect on even the most common wines. A Chardonnay grown and produced in Chablis will have quite a different taste to one grown in California.
Whilst there are these broader types, less fortunate grape varieties find new life because they can be grown so narrowly. Nebbiolo wine comes primarily from North East Italy, and is in fact a grape type that is almost exclusive to the Piedmont Region. In such a prolific wine growing region, the Nebbiolo grape accounts for only 3% of the crops. Fermenting Barolo can be difficult, and this is certainly a factor in its niche growing appeal. But the specific terroir is undeniably difficult to come by. This pushes prices higher, and keeps derivatives like the delicious Barolo highly sought after.
