Q&A Thurs: Can nearby plants affect a wine’s flavor?

Qathursday_1

CAN THE FLORA AND FAUNA THAT SURROUND A VINEYARD CONTRIBUTE TO THE TASTE OR AROMAS OF A WINE MADE FROM THAT VINEYARD?

The answer is yes. The classic example used in California is the instance of a vineyard that might have eucalyptus trees surrounding it. In this case, people have claimed to detect a distinctive "minty" quality in the wine that is attributed to the oils from the tree adhering to the grapes and being transferred to the wine.

Another more common example is that of "native yeasts". Nearly all grapes have yeast on them that come from the vineyard and surrounding area. Some winemakers allow the wines to ferment using only these yeasts rather than adding commercial yeasts. The different yeast one uses to ferment juice can result in a different character in the wine. Some claim that to ferment with native yeast is a nod toward a more natural winemaking approach, an approach that is more in tuned with the terroir.


5 Responses

  1. Mike - March 2, 2006

    Hi Tom
    Yes the eucalyptus trees in the vineyard is a classic example. We tasted in the Barossa at the end of 2004 and among the wineries visited was The Willows. They have a Cabernet vineyard surrounded on three sides by eucalyptus and the aroma in the wine in unmistakable. Its Eucalyptol which is not mint – that is l-carvone. Both can be found in California Cabs. See http://www.wine-pages.com/guests/tom/taste4.htm.
    Mike

  2. WIneBoy! - March 5, 2006

    I don’t know about eucalyptus and minty flavors which are all description of pleasant flavors. Does horsebarn flavors and smells come from the neighbors horsebarn? Think brett. Does Australian wine smell of kangaroo urine? Although not fauna or flora, I think not. I have read articles that claim whole vintages of wines were destroyed by brushfires though, I have not tasted the results. My only argument here is… if it is pleasant aroma or flavor it tends to remind someone of what’s around a vineyard, but if it’s true then the unpleasant things must also be true.
    As for mintiness. I have tasted them in many New Mexico wines, but find very little if any eucalyptus growing here.

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  4. Peter Nicholas - October 11, 2006

    Is there any scientific evidence that Eucalyptus planted near a vinyard can affect the grapes?

  5. Peter Nicholas - October 11, 2006

    Is there any scientific evidence that Eucalyptus planted near a vinyard can affect the grapes?


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