TERROIR IS

  • SUB-TOPICS OF TERROIR IS:
    1. Terroir
    2. Factor Effecting Terroir
    3. Human Choices That Effect Terroir
    4. Old World vs. New World

1) TERROIR– The Interaction of the Grapes, the Vineyard, and Environmental Ecosystem Their Grown In, Including: Geography, Topography, Soil, Climate, Ect.

  • All of the Natural Factors That Impact the Environment In Which Grape Are Grown.
  • “Terroir”…+Pronounced…“Tehr-waar”

“Grapes Are an Expression of Sum Total of All the Effects That the Forces of Nature Have On the Vine.”

  • Grapes Grown In Certain Environments Have the Ability to Produce and Infuse/ Display Distinct Characteristic From Its Geographic, Topographic and Climatic Subtleties Through Its Wine.  A Wine’s Sense of Place, Terroir is a Regional Identity and Linked to Where Its Grown.
  • Naturalist Approach- The Natural Environment of Any Vineyard Site…Geography, Topography, Soil, Climate.
    • Terroir Cann’t By Created In the Winery, But It Can Be Destroyed In the Winery.
  • Culturalish Approach- All of the Factors of the Naturalist Approach But Also Believes That Human Influence is a Key Factor In Terroir and Includes the Human Influence…All the Viticulture Decisions and Practices In the Winery.
    • Vineyards Are Not Naturally Occurring, They Are Cultured Land That Are Managed by People.
    • Wine Doesn’t Exist In Nature, It’s Produced by Humans.  The Flavors and Taste Are Strongly Influenced by Peoples Decisions Made In the Winery.
  • Monks of Burgundy-  Terroir is a Philosophy Originated by Monks In Burgundy, France and Enforced by a Myriad of Natures Conditions and Influences.
  • Monks Were the First to Conduct Detailed Studies of Wine/ Soils/ and Climate and Even Walled Off Parcels of Land That Produced Better/ More Nuanced Wines.
  • Terroirist– A Person Who Believes In the Philosophy and Concept of Terroir and Emphasizes it In the Vitification of Their Grapes and Their Vinification Into Wine.
  • Terroir Sensitive– Grapes Varietals That Are Susceptible to, or Easily Display Attributes of the Vineyards Terroir.
    • –Examples– Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
  • The Extent In Which Terroir Can Be Calibrated is Debatable, But its Significant In the Sale and Retails Markets Which Make Terroir Contentious.
  • To Truly Bring Out a Wine’s Terroir Minimal Manipulation of Vinicultural Practices by Wine-Maker is Encouraged.
    • ~Examples~ Ferment In Steal, No Malolactic Conversion, Minimal/ No Oak.
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “In Order to Better Understand the Concept of Terroir One Needs to Mentally Visualize the Geography, Topography and Climate of a Vineyard in a 3-D?”
    • “Terroir is a Concept That Needs to Be Understood and Comprehend On a Greater Scale.”
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?–“CONTENTIOUS WINE ISSUE!”  “The Idea of Even Thinking There Could Be a Single Best Terroir In the World is Contentious!”
    • YES/ NO… “I Don’t Know if You Can Quantify This But if There is I’m Going There.”
  • BEST TERROIRS Of The WORLD
    • CRITERIA– Magnitude, Topography, Quality of Wine
      1. Alsace, France
      2. Columbia Valley, Washington
      3. Napa Valley, California
      4. Douro Valley, Portugal
      5. Piemonte, Italy
      6. Cape Town, South Africa
      7. Sonoma, California
      8. Tokaj, Hungary
    • **Refer to “OLD WORLD/ NEW WORLD” For Detailed Information.

“All Wine is From Somewhere, I Prefer to Enjoy and Evaluate Wine at the Location of Its Vineyards.”

MICROBIAL TERROIR– The Effects of Bacteria, Yeast and Other Microorganisms In the Vineyard

  • Microorganism In the Vineyard Are Unique and Effect a Wines Character In a Distinct Way.
  • Biogeography- The Study of the Geographic Distribution of Wine Microbiota  and the Microbial Consistency of a Vineyard.
  • A True Terroir Expression Isn’t Possible With and Inoculation of a Cultured Yeast Strain.  If a Wine is Produced “Naturally”, by Spontaneous Fermentation Are Authentic Representation of a Vineyards Terroir.
    • **Refer to “WINE STYLES/ Natural Wine” For Additional Information.
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “To What Degree Does a Vineyards Unique Microorganisms Influence a Wines Character or Terroir?”
    • “Although it Been Demonstrated That Grape/ Wine Microbiota Are Regionally Distinct and Must Have Some Influenced Microbial Terroir is a Newer Aspect of Terroir and One That Needs to Be Researched More.”

2) FACTORS INFLUENCING TERROIR

  • Climate- Sunlight, Micro Climates, Rainfall, Mean Temperature, Proximity to Water, Wind
  • Geology- Location, Bodies of Water
  • Soils- Age, Structure, Water holding Capacity/ Drainage, Fertility/ Organic Content, Vigor
  • Topography- Aspect, Altitude, Mountains, Slope
  • Yeast- Indigenous, Cultured
  • Proximity to Water-
  • People- Human Input, Fashion, Viniculture
  • QUESTIONABLE FACTORS INFLUENCING TERROIR
    • Viticulture   |   People
    • Viniculture
  • GRAPES WITH GREAT COMMUNICATION OF TERROIR
    • Chardonnay   |   Pinot Noir   |   Riesling
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?–“CONTENTIOUS WINE ISSUE!”   “The Idea of Terroir a Real, Tangible Thing Not a Made Up Concept That Only Certain People Believe In!”
    • YES…“Terroir is Real and Can Be Proven and Tasted Through Wine Year After Year In Wine Regions and Vineyards Around the World.”
    • NO…“Terroir is Made Up and a Figment of Wine Drinker Imagination, It Can’t Be Proven or Quantified.”
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “In Order to Produce a Truly Terroir Driven Wine Should Fermentation Take Place Within the AOC./ AVA. Boundaries With Native Yeasts?”
    • “If You Harvest the Grapes and Truck Them to Another Area and Ferment Them With Yeast After Kill Off the Native Yeast You Are Going to Produce a Completely Different Wine.”
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “Just as Grapes/ Wines Are Influenced by Terroir, Can Other Things Such as Cheese, Olive Oil, Coffee Beans, Chocolate, Cannabis and Live-stock Share the Same Influences?”
    • “Most Agricultural Products Are Influenced by the Phenomena of Terroir. Gruyere Cheese Produced In Switzerland Will Show Variations In Style and Quality When Produced From Different Cows Grazing In Various Pastures and Altitudes Across Switzerland.  The Effects of Terroir On Agricultural and Livestock is Real and Evident.  As a Results of This Wine, Cheese, Chickens and Other Products Possess Their Own AOP./ PDO./ DOC.’s In France, Italy and Across Europe.”

“While I’m Ultimately Into Excellent Wine I’m Not Only Interested With the Smell, Taste and Structure of a Wine.  I’m Also Deeply Interested With the Terroir the Grapes Where Grown In.”

3) FACTORS INFLUENCING TERROIR

  • Climate- Sunlight, Micro Climates, Rainfall, Mean Temperature, Proximity to Water, Wind
  • Geology- Location, Orientation
  • Soils- Age, Structure, Water holding Capacity/ Drainage, Fertility/ Organic Content, Vigor
  • Topography- Aspect, Altitude, Mountains
  • Yeast- Indigenous, Cultured
  • Proximity to Water-
  • People- Human Input, Fashion, Viniculture
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “Does a Wine-Maker Need to Use Native/ Wild Yeast Indigenous to the Grapes Region to Be Considered a Natural Wine and Be Part of a Vineyards Terroir?”
    • “The True Representation of a Natural Wine and Terroir Needs to Include Native Yeast.  The Act of Killing Off Native Yeast Only to Inoculate it With a Cultured Yeast is Unnatural.  As a Result One Winery’s Wine Can Smell and Taste Completely Different From Their Neighbors Estate Wine Even if the Vineyards and Grapes Are Identical.  This Isn’t a Accurate Portrayal of a Vineyards True Terroir.”
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “In Order to Produce a Truly Terroir Driven Wine Should Fermentation Take Place Within the AOC./ AVA. Boundaries With Native Yeasts?”
    • “If You Harvest the Grapes and Truck Them to Another Area and Ferment Them With Yeast After Kill Off the Native Yeast You Are Going to Produce a Completely Different Wine.”
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “Does Cheese and Olive Oil Have Terroir?”
    • “Just as Grapes Are Influenced by the Phenomena of Terroir Can Other Products Also Be Influenced?  Most Agricultural Products Do Experience Terroir. Olive Oil Produced In Italy Will Show Variations In Style and Quality From the Same Type of Olives In Grown In Various Regions and Conditions Across Italy.  The Effects of Terroir On Agricultural and Livestock is Also Evident In Products Such as Cheese, Chicken, Meats, Fruits and Vegetables.  As a Results These Products Just Like Grapes Possess Their Own AOP./ PDO./ DOC.’s In Italy, France and Across Europe.”

HUMAN CHOICES THAT EFFECT TERROIR

  • Farming Practices: Organic, Conventional
  • Farming: Vines Per Acre, Yields, Pruning, Row Orientation
  • Definition of Ripeness/ Pick Date
  • Harvest Protocols: Bin Size, Sorting, Treatment of Grapes
  • Winemaking Decisions: Sum of All Decisions Made
  • Idea of Wine Style/ Wine Fashion
  • Marketing?
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “Can the Human Contribution or Influence Be Considered Part of Terroir?”
    • “Mans Contribution In the Vineyard, Viticultural Choices and Decisions Isn’t Considered Terroir. The Choices In the Vineyard and Winery Can Bring Out Subtleties In Terroir or Hide Them.”
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “Should the Human Factor Be Considered Part of Terroir?”
    • “Terroir is the Natural Environment the Vines Grow In and Shouldn’t Be Influenced by the Human Factor. The Less Human Influence That the Grapes See the More the Terroir Can Come Through.”
  • **Refer to “VITICULTURE/ Choices & Decisions” For Additional Information.

OLD WORLD  VS.  NEW WORLD

OLD WORLD– Refers Primarily to Wine Made In Europe But Can Also Include Other Regions of the Mediterranean Basin With Long Histories of Winemaking Such as North Africa and the Middle East.

  • VINICULTURE- Generally Grapes Possess Complex Characteristic But Struggle to Achieve Brix and Full Ripening Before Inclement Weather.   Structure of Wine is Generally- -Ripe, -Body, -Abv., +Acid.
  • CLIMATE- Generally Cooler Climate Which Leads to “Terroir-Driven” Earthier, Herb, Mineral, Less Aromatics.
    • Old World Wines Seem to Be Unchanged In an Effort to Keep Style to One That is or Was Popular.

NEW WORLD– Refers to Countries Colonized by Western Europe and Region That are New to Wine Production.  New World Wine Regions Adopted the Successful Ideas From the Old World and Expanded On Them Into the Modern Winemaking Tradition.

  • VINICULTURE- Generally Grapes Struggle to Achieve Complexed Characteristics Before Grapes Accumulate Sugar. Structure of Wine is Generally +Ripen, +Body, +Abv., -Acid.
  • CLIMATE- Generally Warmer Climate Which Leads to “Fruits Forward” +Ripening, +Sugar. In Grapes and +Abv. In Wine.

NEW-OLD WORLD– Refers to Locations In the Old World That Thousands of Years Ago Where On the Forefront of the Wine World.  These Locations Got “Lost” In Wine History and are Now Receiving Acclaim and Currently Being Revisited by the Wine World.

  • NEW-OLD WORLD LOCATIONS
    • Georgia   |   Armenia

OLD-NEW WORLD– Refers to Locations Deemed as New World Who Possess a Long History of Wine Making and Culture.

  • OLD-NEW WORLD LOCATIONS
    • South Africa    |   Jerusalem

“These District Forces of Nature Contribute to All of the Reasons/ Complexity of Soils of the Earth.”

EARTH

PLATES

TECTONICS

FIRE

VOLCANICS

ERUPTIONS

WATER

RIVERS

FLOODS

AIR

WIND

BLOW

  • SUB-CHAPTERS Of INFLUENCING TERROIR
    • Plate Tectonics
    • Volcanic
    • Water/ Floods
    • Winds
  • **Refer to These Proceeding Sub-Chapters For Detailed Information.

**Refer to “BIBLIOGRAPHY/ Sources” For Details On Scholarly Works Referenced.