New World Winery Continuum

The act of drinking a glass of wine is nearlyare then brought to a contracted wine production
always, in some small way, coupled with the actfacility, where the wine is "custom crushed" and
of envisioning the source of that wine, which iseventually bottled under the vineyard's own label.
usually some variation on the theme of rollingCustom crush can also be a way for a
vineyards adjacent to an historic stone (old world)winemaker to fulfill a vision, by overseeing his
or wooden (new world) winery. This image existsown production at a facility hosting more than
in part because it can actually be true, and partlyone, and often several, wine "visionaries". In some
because the hard-working souls who put the winecases the visionary may be neither winemaker
in the bottle want you to believe it is true, but itnor grape grower, but someone passionate
is very often pure illusion.enough to make an investment in wine production
This is in no way a bad thing. The fact is that theand willing to both purchase grapes and contract
very definition of a winery falls on a rather broadthe winemaking for the project.
continuum, from ancient bricks and mortar to theOf course, vision aside, every wine must have
genuinely virtual. What really matters is what is inbegun in a vineyard and finished up in a wine cellar.
the glass.Yet the multitude of means to the end creates a
In the old world, or Europe for simplicity, if therange of opportunities for the would-be wine
wine is even moderately expensive one can restproducer, and consequently allows for the
fairly comfortably on the notion that, indeed,availability of a broad range of wine styles to the
hand-tended vineyards adjoin the vine-coveredconsumer. When a winery no longer has to
cellars. Complexity sets in, however, when aovercome the significant economic barriers to
château releases a second label, or produces aestablishing the traditional vineyard and production
domaine-appellation wine alongside its estatefacility, the industry is no longer the exclusive
product. Throw in the grower cooperatives and,domain of wealthy individuals or large corporations.
of course, the négociants, and it becomesThe resulting infusion of small to medium scale
considerably more difficult to answer the question,wineries, some entirely working with purchased
"which winery made this wine?" The savvygrapes and shared facilities, results in many wines
consumer of old world wine, therefore, is guidedwhich share the same essential attributes of their
more by name, reputation, and appellation ofmore traditionally-produced brethren: a distinctly
origin than by an image of a grand château.regional stamp of style and an individual stamp of
The new world has managed to re-imagine thecharacter.
winery even more thoroughly. By casting out theConsumers and wineries alike should absolutely
vision of bricks, mortar and estate vineyards asembrace this continuum, as much as it may
essential, the new world wine industry hasundermine the romantic definition of a winery, as
re-defined a winery to be, quite simply, a vision.a natural adaptation of the wine industry to the
Examples of this wine vision fall at many pointschallenge of bringing interesting, enjoyable wines
along the new world winery continuum. One ofspanning a broad range of styles to the public. A
the most commonly understood is the winerywinery, defined, is really no more than a way to
which does its own winemaking but purchases allbring an experience to one's glass. The business
of its grapes. Or, a winery may be simply amodel it applies to reach that goal is of little
vineyard, growing and harvesting grapes whichconsequence to the wine itself.