| Notes from a recovering Terroir Junkie (A terroir primer) | | | | By: Rich Collins |  Page 1 of 3 next >> |
Notes from a (recovering) terroir Junkie, by Rich Collins, Thirst Productions.
I’ll admit, I am enthralled with the more romantic aspects of wine, the pop of a (real) cork, the taste, the swirl, the experience of wine. Terroir is just another romanticized component of the wine experience that has become an interesting topic of sorts these days.
Haven’t heard of the T-word? It’s possible, though the terroir idea is explored more frequently these days in the media and ‘wine films’ that have become loveable crusades for better quality (and terroir driven) wine. The terroir concept has sparked one of the most influential changes in the modern wine industry, debating the question - what is most important - allowing the grapes to create the wine, with man serving only as a steward to the environment? or ‘to hell with nature, let man control the whole thing.’ There is still a strong representation on both sides, and to be honest, both sides are producing great (though somewhat different) wines.
So what exactly is terroir, anyhow?
Terroir, as I see it, is loosely described as the sum of all environmental influences that lead to the biological development of a particular grapevine (and ultimately a particular wine). The sun, climate, and soil composition, even human and regional culture all have an effect on the vine’s development. A huge shade tree overlooking a patch of vines? Terroir. The fact that phylloxera has lead to the use of grafted rootstocks? Terroir. The water table beneath a particular patch of vine? Terroir.
Toss in the rainfall, topography, chemical interventions (or lack thereof), longitude, latitude, shade cover, fertilizers (natural or not), air temperature, and even wind patterns and you get the big picture. You name it, if it affects a vine at any point; it has a hand in developing the terroir of that vine. Purists will argue that it’s the sun, the air and the soil only, but I believe it’s much more than just the natural environment of the vine.
Terroir is a concept once held sacred (mostly by the French) that is now no longer thought to be the steadfast ideal it once was. Sort of. Terroir is still the foundation of the French ‘AC’ system, where wine is produced and labeled according to where the grapes were grown (Burgundy) as opposed to the new world varietal labeling (Pinot Noir). Italy often follows suit with it’s fabulous Barolos and Barbarescos (Nebbiolo being the grape), but you see more and more straight Pinot Grigio and Merlot on the shelves in an efforts to compete for a global, varietal driven market. Yet simultaneously in the wine world places like the US and Australia, which previously focused on varietal packaging, clone selections, and technical vineyard magic have started to shift their perspectives and focus on the soul of the land and the vine, returning to the concept of terroir themselves (Stags Leap District & Howell Mountain, Napa). Thus you see opposing viewpoints across all fronts, which is why wine is so darn interesting!
So which view do you subscribe to?
Concept 1: The Market Rules the Vine (and the Wine)
Being a market driven economy, with wine a nice slice of the food and beverage pie, the goal for most wineries is quite simple: Produce wine that*most* people like - and sell lots of it - for profit.
The more people like something, the more they buy, the more money producers make, the more expensive it becomes, and the more Provencal vacations winemakers can have to do ‘research’. This is where you get into the mainstream wines that appear on every mediocre wine list across America. (I’m not necessarily knocking the wines, as their popularity speaks for itself, but I doubt these wines have a strong influence by terroir).
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