How Did the New World vs. Old World Tasting Go?

Well, technically it came out a tie, no I am not kidding. The first comparison was a French Chardonnay against a California Chardonnay. I enjoyed the French one better as it would pair much better with foods and I don't really like the vanilla flavor common in American Chardonnay. I don't mind some tannin and oak on red wines, but white wine in my opinion should be cleaner than that vanilla butter.

Next we compared an Alsatian Muscat against an Australian Gewurztraminer/Riesling blend. For me the Australian did the trick, having a longer smoother finish. So for the whites, New World and Old World scores were equal. For the exact scoring you will have to come back and read the reviews.

Next we moved into Burgundian style Pinot Noir and Sanford Pinot Noir from California (yes Sanford is in the movie Sideways as the first Pinot Noir featured). These wines were not identical, they each had their strengths and high points, but they did score the same ultimately. I would say the French wine would be better with food while the Californian would need something a little heartier, but could even be enjoyed with a cigar.

Finally at the end we compared two Bordeaux style blends, one from Oregon and the other from Bordeaux. Again, the scoring was identical, but the wines were not. They both had their strengths and high points. But they were both top notch wines, just different.

So perhaps nothing was decided except that I like good wine (was that in doubt?) It seems that old world is earthier wine, a little lighter, possibly pairing better with food. New World wine could overwhelm some food, so you need something appropriately hearty to enjoy it well. There's something to be said for steak every night (my wife wouldn't protest), but you can't always afford that. Hopefully when the reviews get finished it will help you to see what differences exist between Old World and New World wine. Now I'm off to have my glass of wine for the night...