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
terroir
. The region of Sancerre in northern France produces a richly mineral Sauvignon blanc due to the gravelly soil and cool climate in which it is grown, while the same grape in Marlborough, New Zealand, produces intense citrus and fresh-cut grass as the more assertive notes. A Santa Barbara, Calif., Sauvignon blanc tends to be much rounder with exotic fruit aromas. These are, of course, generalizations, and much greater distinctions can be made within the same regions depending on how the winemaker has vinified the wine, weather, and the characteristics of his or her patch of soil. Even here in Virginia distinctions can made from one site to another. Winemaker Jim Law at Linden names his site-specific wines right on the bottle. Like the French (and mostterroir
expresses itself through the wine.Any arena where people want to impress and exclude others is rife with language that puts the general population off. In chucking
terroir
we may be throwing out the baby with the bath water. I am all for reducing the snobbery of wine, and making everyone feel comfortable to experiment, but not at the expense of some of the tradition and romance.Terroir
is an important idea that expresses the touches of regionalism and the sense of place that makes wine endlessly interesting.| Rebecca Thomas Snyder is co-owner and wine buyer of kybecca wine & gourmet. She can be reached at rebecca@kybecca.com. |