Modern vs Traditional
‘Red or white?’ , ‘Still or sparkling ?’, ‘dry or fruity?’ or even ‘Modern or traditional?’ . Those are common questions from sommelier offered when we ordered wines. But the last one ‘Modern or Traditional ?’ may confuse you a bit. If you are wondering what the differences between modern and traditional are, here is the passage for you.
Those complicated jargons may scare you away, so the table may help you to understand the difference between Modern and traditional wine more easily:
Modern innovations were breakthrough in thetraditional industry because they enable winemakers to produce more stable quality between different vintages of wine. However, some winemakers, especially those in old world, were against the new method of making wine. A controversy aroused in the wine world.
Some winemakers experimented a new brewing concept by shortening the immersion time of the grapes to 6 to 8 days, aged in new French oak barrels on the old containers, making the wine style softer. The fruit and oak flavors are more intense and the required ageing time is significantly reduced.
On the contrary, the new winemaking style considered as a destruction of the reputation due to its artificial processing and massive production, so some winemaker, such as Laurent Bannwarth, still insist to remains loyal to the traditional.
Below are some concrete examples of modern and traditional winemaking techniques:
Nowadays, the debate has been subsided even though the modern and traditional still insist their own way of making wine, they both have their remarkable masterpieces. Not only does the method define the wine, but the drinkers’ personal preference.