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Words used in wine industry not always just snobbery
wine column
Date published: 6/27/2007
THERE ARE, admit- Sometimes it is not even the descriptors, but the way in which they are delivered. The movie "Sideways" hilariously poked fun at Milo for his over-the-top descriptions (Edam cheese, and a soupcon of asparagus?), while simultaneously acknowledging that there terroir accounts for a great deal of the two, and despite its overuse as a term, once understood it becomes an important aspect of wine appreciation.Terroir is a French word that loosely translates as a "sense of place." Formerly used as a descriptor for both wine and coffee, it denoted the unique characteristics imparted to the beverage from where it is grown. French wine today still is referred to by where it is grown, rather than its variety or blend (much to the frustration of American consumers). However, I find that an altogether charming idea. In a world that is increasingly becoming homogenized by globalization, a sense of time and place seems like the perfect antidote.Most mass-produced wines are gathered from lots of grapes from a variety of regions and growers, then blended together in large tanks. A Chardonnay labeled California may contain juice grown from Monterey to Sonoma County, and for the sake of consistency all efforts are made to standardize the taste. Certain quantities of oak chips are soaked into the wine to impart a vanilla flavor along with many more manipulations before it eventually reaches the consumer. In this way the vagaries of weather and care for the growing process are equalized to produce a wine with no surprise. These wines remind me of a McDonald's cheeseburger. Not bad, but not great. No matter where or when you buy one they all taste exactly the same. Sauvignon blanc is one example of a grape that is influenced by where it is grown, and makes a fun experimental tasting to test the concept of
Date published: 6/27/2007
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