Nature, Nurture, Terroir: The Conversation Continues
Terroir. I never tire of this subject. It is unquestionably the most intellectually stimulating subject in the world of New World wine today. Happily, in the near future we are going to see much more writiing on the idea that wine should taste like a place. The recently completed U.C. Davis Terroir Conference assures that a number of treatise will emerge from what has reported to have been a spirited, if not somewhat academic and confusing, get together or winemakers, viticulturists, scientists and writers.
Alan Goldfarb, a regional correspondent for Appellation America (they are on the cutting edge of the terroir Inquisition) supplies us with what is the first deeper meditation on the subject of terroir since the end of this important conference.
Alan is wonderful wordsmith (despite his tendency to disparage the work of PR Types—particularly as it relates to back labels) and he uses his entire arsenal in this latest piece that explores the state of understanding about terroir.
As Alan points out, there appears to be a disagreement over whether or not Terroir is nature or nurture or both and makes the obvious, but necessary observation that terroir cannot be everything because then it is nothing. It’s a fascinating article that deserves a read by anyone willing to stimulate their intellect.
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