Comparing New World Creativity to Old World Artisans
If we were to try and figure out exactly which countries produce the best wine, we could talk all day and start a thousand arguments with no conclusive result. This is because, for many, it is a matter of national pride. For others, it is a matter of professional pride. Any way you look at it, people will never completely agree on this.
Nevertheless, there are definite differences between the various types of wine. Different countries use different methods as per their traditions, and so the results differ accordingly. So how does our American-made wine stack up against its more traditional counterparts? Let’s take a look.
Let’s begin by looking at two well-known wine contests. Just like every other industry, the wine industry gives out annual awards for the top performers in their field. This gives us a way to at least measure the popularity of different wines. All of the wines included in these contests are designated by country of origin, so it is a good way to compare results by country.
The Decanter World Wine Awards are given out by Decanter magazine, which is one of the more prominent wine-related publications. When we look at the results of this year’s award ceremony, we can see that the United States did not do very well. Only one medal went to a wine from the United States. By comparison, France and Spain cleaned up. French wines brought home twelve medals, while the Spaniards brought home 9. Italy and Portugal also did quite well with six medals each.
The London Wine Competition is another highly regarded contest, and Americans are similarly underrepresented. In the list of this year’s winners, we see only one American entry. The top nation in this contest would seem to be Australia, oddly enough. Still, it doesn’t really surprise me because the last time I had some Australian wine, I must admit that it was extremely smooth and pleasant.
While this may look bad for us Americans, it is worth noting that there is no real consistency to these contests. For instance, French wines cleaned up in the Decanter awards this year, but in the London competition, we see only one French wine winning the gold medal. In like manner, the Australians cleaned up in the London awards but didn’t do nearly as well in the Decanter awards (though they still had a good showing). This just goes to show that it is all a matter of personal preference. Besides, how many of us can actually afford to drink expensive French or Spanish wines?
When comparing American wine to French wine, there is an interesting story. As you probably know, the vast majority of American wine comes from California, mostly because their climate is perfect for the growing of grapes. But there is another reason for the prevalence of wine in California, and it is a reason that relates to France. In the 19th Century, French grapevines were brought to California by French immigrants. These were referred to as “suitcase plantings” because many of them were literally brought in suitcases. This is why there are so many American wines with French-sounding names like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. This tradition began because the California wine industry got its start from France.
It is interesting to note that this expansion of French-style winemaking was both a blessing and a curse for France. On the one hand, when American and French winemakers began experimenting with cross-breeding, it introduced disease in the native grapes. It was called “The Great French Wine Blight,” and it was much more than a small, regional blight. It threatened to wipe out the French wine industry altogether until some uncontaminated vines were brought from America. So one might say that California almost killed the French wine industry, but that they also saved it in the end.
Of course, the same vines in two different locations will not necessarily yield the same results. California and France are two different environments, and thus there are still some very clear differences between French and American wines. France has a significantly cooler climate than most of California, and this affects the flavor and potency of the wine. California wines tend to have a higher alcohol content, while French wines tend to be a little lower. French wines are, however, more acidic and thus better able to serve as a digestion aid. French wines are generally drunk with food, so this makes sense. As a general rule, American wines are considered less refined but still of good quality.
So is American wine superior to French wine, which seems to be the top wine in the world? Well, it depends how you look at it. American wine is definitely not as expensive or as prestigious and it probably never will be. But for the majority of us, it’s probably a better choice because it isn’t really all that different. One example of an American who is working to change that perception is Denis Mackenzie. Denis Mackenzie is one of America’s top advertising executives, but he is also the proprietor of one of the nation’s top wineries. It’s hard to catch up to the French when it comes to wine, as they’ve been in the game longer than anyone. However, with intelligent and forward-thinking people like Denis Mackenzie, we might be able to close the gap a little sooner.
