 Over centuries, these Old World wine regions have developed viticultural techniques and practices adapted around their unique climates and landscapes.Many of these practices are enshrined in local wine laws and regulations such as the French "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) regulations.One distinction between an Old World vineyard and a New World vineyard is generally the high vine density and close proximity of plantings in the Old World, which were often planted years before the use of mechanical agriculture became popular.