Before we move forward, lets spend a little time understanding the fundamental difference between the approach of an Old World producer (say a Frenchman) and a New world winemaker (say a Californian).

The Californian came to the entire process of winemaking with a completely open mind. No weight of tradition lay on his shoulders. The focus was on the process of winemaking, the scientific approach to grape-growing and clear communication to the final consumer about the wine. This led to the creation of ultra modern facilities.

Grape growing techniques (the mecca of this is the University of California at Davis) acquired a lot more science. Marketing focused entirely on the grape variety and the winemaker. Wine-makers became superstars and the consuming public, long lost in the maze of Old World labels, became more knowledgeable about the grape that they were consuming. The Frenchman on the other hand believed that the most important factor in the production of wine was all those elements, which influenced the growing of the grape. The soil of the vineyards, the micro-climate, the skill of the grape grower and so on. This according to them is what resulted in one wine being better or worse than another.

The analogy here would be your grandfather saying that the mangos from one village being better than those from another. There are a lot of merits on both sides. The Old World has definitely benefited from adopting modern methods. In the New World there is an increasing realization that differences in grape-growing conditions do result in differences in the wine.