'The world of wine is a divided one,' says Chris Boersma, the beverage manager for 208 Duecento Otto restaurant in Hong Kong. 'For starters, there's more than one world. There are two: old and new.'

The Old World is Europe, where the tradition of winemaking goes back millennia. Everywhere else that wine is produced─notably, North America and a number of nations in the Southern Hemisphere─is generally referred to as the New World.

'Recently the lines are blurring between the two worlds,' says Mr. Boersma. With the relaxation of classification laws that limit winemakers' practices, many in the Old World are beginning to experiment with new tastes and blends. At the same time, New World winemakers are developing their own traditions and building more structure ─ to add more levels of taste and texture ─ into their wines.

'Don't pit the Old and the New against each other,' says Mr. Boersma. 'Just know what you're in the mood for, and whether it's something old or something new, there's going to be something for everybody.'

Here are a few keys to understanding the basic differences between the two worlds.

Sugar and alcohol: Old World grapes are less ripe and lower in sugar, because they tend to be grown in cooler-weather regions. Since sugar turns into alcohol during fermentation, this means that Old World wines tend to have a lower alcohol content and to be lighter-bodied than New World wines, which are grown in warmer-weather regions.

Fruity vs. earthy: New World wines were originally created to cater to the palate of the novice drinker; their big fruit-centric flavor are easier to appreciate. Old World wines tend to have taste notes that are harder to place ─ hints of earth and mushrooms, for example ─ and can make them less approachable for first-time drinkers.

Acid: Acid from the grape plays a big role in Old World wines, which tend to carry a tart zing that literally makes you salivate (this is why a lot of sour wines are seen as appetite-openers). New World winemakers traditionally pay less attention to acid levels.

Age-worthiness: Old World wines carry a reputation of being more worthy of laying down for long periods, largely because of the prime stock produced by the top châteaux in Europe: Bordeaux and Burgundies can age for decades after being bottled and remain vibrant. Many New World winemakers, on the other hand, focus on making wines that can be best drunk young.

香港208 Duecento Otto餐厅餐饮部经理博尔斯玛（Chris Boersma）说，葡萄酒世界是一分为二的；对新手来说，葡萄酒有新旧两个世界。

旧世界是欧洲，酿酒的传统可追溯至数千年前。其他生产葡萄酒的地方一般指的就是新世界，尤其是北美和南半球的一些国家。

博尔斯玛说，最近新旧世界的界限开始模糊了。随着限制酿酒师的分类规则的放宽，旧世界的许多人开始尝试新口味和新配方。与此同时，新世界的酿酒商也逐步形成自己的传统，并增强葡萄酒的酒体结构，也就是使味道和口感更多元化。

博尔斯玛说，不要让旧世界和新世界互相打架；重要的是品酒人的心情，无论是新的还是旧的，每个人都能找到适合自己的。

下面是了解新旧世界基本区别的几个要点。

糖和酒精：旧世界的葡萄成熟度较低，含糖量较少，因为它们往往种植于较寒冷地区，而新世界葡萄生长于较温暖地区。糖分在发酵过程中会变成酒精，因此旧世界葡萄酒一般比新世界葡萄酒酒精含量低，口感也较淡。

果香味vs.泥土味：新世界葡萄酒原本是为初尝葡萄酒者的口味而酿制的；浓重的果味更易入口。旧世界葡萄酒的味道往往更难辨别，例如有泥土味和蘑菇味，葡萄酒新手对这些味道较难以接受。

酸：葡萄中的酸在旧世界葡萄酒中发挥着重要作用，往往带有一种强烈的会让你流口水的酸味（这就是为什么许多酸葡萄酒会被当做开胃饮品）。新世界酿酒师一般不会很注重酸度。

存放价值：旧世界葡萄酒以更值得长期存放而闻名，很大程度上是因为欧洲顶级酒庄生产的优质陈酿：波尔多和勃艮第红在装瓶后存放数十年仍充满活力。而许多新世界酿酒商则集中酿造无需陈年就适宜饮用的酒。