Allow me to allay any fears, dear readers, about there not being decent old world wines available locally. This past weekend I stopped in at the Jamaica Liquor Warehouse, CPJ Market and Uncorked and found lots of great old world wines available for sale. I began reminiscing on the significance of learning about these styles of wine.

After our lecturer completed the lesson and tasting during sommelier training some 15 years ago, I had one of those “aha , now I get it” moments. It was the first time I had heard “old world” explained in detail and it immediately gave me tremendous clarity about the wines I liked and why I liked them.

Understanding the finer details of Old World vs New World wines is one of the most powerful tools any wine professional or new wine enthusiast can use to answer questions or make choices about wine styles and taste.

Old World and New World — The very basics

The terms are used to give a general description of the style of wine and, by extension, how the wine is made, its general characteristics and maybe a bit of history. Wines made in cooler climates of Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, to name a few) are generally referred to as Old World wines. Wines made in the warmer climates of the Americas and in the southern hemisphere (USA, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Canada) are collectively referred to as New World Wines.

The training that service professionals such as wine stewards and sommeliers receive gives us the ability to take one glance at a bottle and give a general description of what that wine should taste like. From the label, we see where the wine is made, which gives us a peep into the culture and history of the region where the wine is from. Even when the same grape varieties are used, wine made in the old and new worlds will differ in taste — the result of climate and culture.

Noble Grapes (or International grapes)

No wine education goes without learning about noble grapes. Noble grapes or international varieties are the grapes that are most widely planted in the major regions of the wine-producing world. The list of these wines has mostly been determined by history. Understanding the difference between the noble grapes is critical for any wine professional and wine lover in order to explain or make the best selection for the moment. When I attended wine school we were introduced to the classic six varietals: (3 white) Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc; Riesling. (3 Red): Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot; Pinot Noir. Out of these six grapes, five originate in France, and the sixth, Riesling though born in Germany, grows very well in Alsace, France. As the world of wine has expanded, globalisation has nudged the noble wine list up to 18 grapes. This I will cover in detail in a future column.

Difference in styles

New World wines are modern, technical and varietal driven, typically more fruit- forward causing higher levels of perceived ‘sweetness’, bolder and jammier and are very easy to drink on their own. Old World wines are more traditional and very food-friendly. They tend to have a more subtle and earthier fruit character showing a sense of place — what the French call

terroir — steeped in history and tradition of the people making the wine.

Most Jamaican wine drinkers tend to prefer the New World styles and I am here to suggest that it is time that we start to broaden the range of wines that we drink. I will over the next two weeks share with you the old world wines I’ve found in our market.

Christopher Reckord — Information Technology Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram @chrisreckord and on Twitter: @Reckord