Archive for the ‘Terroir’ Category

Dec 8, 2005

A Plea For Terroir

Appellation America is turning into a very interesting website, as evidenced by Alan Goldfarb’s most recent article there, "Terroir in America". Alan essentially makes an argument, nay, plea, for the need to have winemakers focus more on crafting wines that demonstrate a sense of place rather than a sense of heft. The assumption here is that wine made from super-ripe grapes and smacked down with layers of oak essentially cover up the most important and interesting aspect of wine: the…

Nov 28, 2005

The “Idea of Quality” and “Terroir”

Anyone, in or out of the wine industry, looking for a brilliant and spot on analysis of the direction the global wine industry is taking should read Legendary Australian winemaker Brian Croser’s comments over at Fine Wine Press. His "The Idea of Quality: Creating Sustainable Competitive Advantage" was, I believe first presented as a speech. Though I am not sure. In it Croser explains how the "idea of quality" has been overtaken by the "idea of terroir" and how embracing…

Nov 11, 2005

Sonoma’s Mountain Fall

I had the opportunity to drive around the hills ands mountains surrounding Sonoma Valley today. I was picking up donated auction items for an upcoming event for our local elementary school. There are places tucked into the hills that the average visitor to the Valley who never gets off Highway 12 misses altogether. That’s not a good thing, particularly this time of year when the vineyards are turning rich yellows, crimsons and their other fall colors before the leaves drop….

Oct 24, 2005

The History of Dirt

Generally, Americans begin a discussion of "terroir" by asking "what is it?" Perhaps this is a result of our relative youthfulness as vintners compared to he Old World vintners, who, after first stating that theirs is the best terroir in the world, tend to go speak of the soil and its history. That is, European, and particularly French vintners, understand terroir to be those elements that make up the physicality, soils and subsoils of the vineyard, along with the plot’s…

Oct 11, 2005

Mistaking Appellations for Statements of Wine Quality

It’s very difficult to argue with the view of The Center for Wine Origins (CWO)  that it is important consumers "aren’t misled by producers who want to use a region’s name as their own." So, I don’t think I will. The new CWO, however, believes that this is an important issue. And their concern is understandable. CWO is funded by the European Union with Champagne and Port producers seemingly running the show. They care about wine producers outside these regions,…