The 20th century was a Golden Age in the history of wine. Admittedly, despite an outstanding harvest in its first year, the beginning of the century was difficult. This Wine 101 article talks about a recent history of wine and wine making.

Hundreds of thousands of hectares of vineyards were devastated at the end of the 19th century by the dreaded phylloxera, a root louse which swept through France like a plague. Many wine-growing areas were wiped off the map, and others had to be completely replanted. The resulting wines often tasted different than they did in the 19th century.

The 20th century was the era of technology in both the vineyard and the cellar. Better vineyard management has resulted in dramatically higher yields. There was also much better ability to combat plant diseases and deal with difficult weather conditions (this is primarily important for Europe, as the rest of the world’s wine growing regions usually have a fairly temperate climate).

This has meant that quality has also become more consistent. Good and bad years are of course unavoidable, but failed harvests are now a thing of the past. In the cellar, the use of stainless steel and temperature control ensures much better hygiene and a much higher quality.

ln the course of recent years, the individual characteristics of a wine gained more and more importance. This led to legislation in all major European wine-producing countries in which areas of origin (appellations) and the characteristics of their wines were precisely defined. In addition to geographical boundaries, there are also detailed requirements for wine production itself.

In addition to a wine’s place of origin, the name of the producer has also become an indication of its quality. After World War II, the individual wine- maker who bottled wine on the premises gradually took the place of the large firms which as a rule sold a single standard wine mixed from several basic wines bought from various producers. This automatically meant a greater diversity in the supply. Another pleasant result of this phenomenon is that there are more famous winemakers, following the trend of the ‘celebrity chefs’.

The taste of wine changes with the times, and the 20th century is no exception. In the past the high tannin levels in red wines required the patience to lay them down for years but in the 20th century they have become more and more accessible. Key words are fruit and smoothness. White wines have become more aromatic and fresh, and at the same time the taste of oak has become very popular. This has resulted in extensive use of new oak barrels for maturing wines.

Wine has gone from being a strictly European product to a global one, largely thanks to the coming of age of winemaking in the New World. Although the word ‘new’ is relative, the international breakthrough is still rather recent. The emergence of the non-European wine production only began in the late 1970s and early 80s but quickly accelerated.

Mild climatic conditions and the use of high-technology methods enabled the wine producers to satisfy international tastes. Unfettered by traditions or rules, they could concentrate on the market. Appellations ate only determined by geography, with few additional restrictions about the way the wine was made, and thus these winemakers can experiment to their heart’s content.

As a rule, non-European winemakers produce easily recognizable varietal or cepage wines (wines made from a single grape variety). This concept has made its way to Europe and is now being introduced there on a large scale. Conversely, the latest trend outside of Europe is that the place of origin of a wine is becoming increasingly important.