Grape and Grain Society: Old World vs New World

Hosted at Haymarket on a warm, late spring evening, the PM Society's first Grape and Grain event of the 2004 was a very lively affair. Thirty five members of the PM Society began the evening with a couple of 'palate-cleansing' glasses of Champagne and canapés before the serious tasting started.



Wine expert, Andy Newman, explained that although grapes were made up of 90% water, there were a number of things that would influence the way wine tasted, thereby explaining why the same grape varieties made such different wines depending on where they were grown and produced.

Soil type (mineral uptake), yield from vines, the age of the vine, herbicides and pesticides used, any additives used in the production process such as yeast, fermentation techniques and type of barrel the wine is aged in and, of course, climate all influence the final product.

The UK is the biggest purchaser and importer of wines worldwide, and has the highest number of Wine Masters (216 out of a total of 260). Popular wines are those with the labels we can understand, which identify what grapes are used (New World wines). Old World wines do not feel the need to market their products in the same way - in fact it is illegal to put the grape varieties on wine labels in Appellation Controllé wines in France and therefore lose out to buyers who do not understand the labelling or are not familiar with the language.

Tasters were asked to vote, before tasting began, whether they thought, overall, that the six New World wines being tasted would get more votes than the Old World wines, with the winner being awarded with a magnum of Champagne - as if more alcohol would be needed at the end of the evening!

Twelve fantastic wines were tasted comparing Sauvignon Blanc from France and New Zealand; Pinot Grigio (aka Pinot Gris) from Italy and Argentina; Chardonnay from France and Chile; Pinot Noir from France and California, Syrah (aka Shiraz) from France and Australia and a Cabernet/Merlot blend from France and Lebanon*.



Tasting notes were made and votes taken and at the end of the evening Old World wines took first place. Ed Marriage of Haymarket guessed that Old World would win by 10 votes, thereby winning the magnum of Champagne.

The next wine-tasting event will take place on 30 November at 6 pm at the Chopper Lump Wine Bar in Hanover Square (immediately following the half day meeting at the Royal College of Nurses), so we hope to see you there.

*A full list of the wines tasted is available for anyone who is interested. Please email Vivien Bennett for this information.

Held on: 13/05/2004