Three Great Overlooked Wine Regions
The wine market as it stands right now is split into what people call the ‘Old World’ and ‘New World’ of wines. You’d think that wine makers, usually mistaken for snobbish attitudes and a lack of inclusiveness, would try to avoid reminding us of the age of European colonialism. But here we are anyway, separating the wines of Europe – France, Italy, Germany, Portugal and Spain – from the wines of the American West Coast, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
What are the differences to the consumer? The only truly night and day difference is that wines of the ‘Old World’ cost more, and can cost substantially more than those of the ‘New World’. Owning (and perhaps one day, drinking) expensive wines is as much about symbolising your status as it is about how it actually tastes. So, even though wines from Australia, or California and everywhere else in the ‘Old World’ can be just as pleasing as wines from France and the rest of the old masters, you’re unlikely to pay as much for that experience. When you order wine online, you’re often better off sticking with these underappreciated wines.
Perhaps the daftest thing about terming certain regions producers of ‘new world wines’ is that it has now been about thirty years since some of them became international mass market names. Plenty of these countries have been producing wines for thousands of years. And then there’s the question of those wine regions who may one day reach the same status. Or perhaps those wine regions that have produced great wines you’ve simply never heard of…
Austrian Wines
It stands to reason that Austria, with similar terrain and climate would have similar wine making habits to its northern and southern neighbours, Italy and Germany. Some date Austrian viticulture back some 4,000 years and it has a history as varied and prestigious as its neighbours. And then its reputation was entirely destroyed in one fell swoop so dastardly it ended up as the plot of a Simpsons episode. The antifreeze scandal involved Austrian wineries add poisonous diethylene glycol to their wines, in an attempt to make them as sweet as was expected of the nation’s wines at the time.
Nowadays, Austria is a distant 17th among the world’s top wine producers by volume. The degree to which Austria has recovered is debateable. Exports took fifteen years to reach their 1985 level – a standard that is somewhat meaningless considering how much the wine market has changed. So has Austria been left behind? Being so far down the list of wine producers only means that they don’t chase quantity. Quality is a word that is applied frequently to Austrian wines, and for many, they’re a secret ‘Old World Wine’. The popular Gruner Veltliner is something of a nation grape and makes some spectacular food-friendly white wines.
Brazilian Wines
Argentina has forged a reputation for wine making that Brazil is understandably jealous of, but then Argentina has the distinct advantage of being further south from the equator. Viticulture is difficult in the heat and humidity of much of the nation, but a larger number of vines are to be found in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Nevertheless, figures have put Brazil ahead of New Zealand in terms of size of production. Sales of sparkling wines rose by 12 percent in 2010 and reviews have been favourable. It seems certain, as Brazil’s middle class emerges and wine production picks up, that Brazil will be the next big name in wine. The question is, will Brazilian wines emphasise quality or quantity in the long run?
English Wines
Renowned for year-round dreary and unpredictable weather, the existence of great English Wines is perhaps a compelling case for climate change. At such a northern latitude, the majority of the vineyards are located on the south coast – and make for a fantastic day out, if you’re in these typically hilly rural areas. English wines have a good reputation among UK supermarket buyers, but the real quality (and the stuff worthy of importing if you’re elsewhere) is to be found in English sparkling wines. Denbies and Ridgeview are producers to watch out for. Avoid anything labelled as ‘British Wine’ – it’s made from imported grape juice and of diminished quality.
Steph Wood is a wine enthusiast and blogger who works on behalf of Classic Wine Direct, a great place to buy wine online in the UK.
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