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Terroir is a word that is
thrown around a lot among wine tasters, but is
very difficult to define. Borrowed from the
French language, there is no equivalent word in
English - so what exactly does it mean? And
what does it mean for wine tasting? We tackle
both questions.
Definition of
Terroir
The root of the word 'terroir' is
'terre' - which in French means 'land' or
'earth'. I define terroir as the expression of
a unique parcel of land or region through an
agricultural, artisanal product, such as wine.
The term is most frequently applied to wine but
can also be used to describe the impact of
regional typicity in other products such as
cheese or even beef (think Kobe or Wagyu).
The basic idea is that some regions or vineyard
plots have a quality that makes them special -
so that if you took the same grape variety,
followed the same winegrowing practices and
winemaking practices but grew it anywhere else
it would never taste quite the same. While this
has somewhat to do with the 'earth' in terms of
the soil composition, grade and exposure
of the piece of land, terroir also encompasses
the microclimate of that area and other
factors.
What it Means for Wine
TastingIn my
view, the most amazing wine tasting feat is
the qualification to become a Master
of Wine. There are only 272 people in the
entire world who have passed this
exam with only 26 in the U.S. Following a
two-year program, applicants
must successfully complete four papers on
theory as well as pass three blind tastings.
With nothing other than a memory bank of
tens or hundreds of thousands of wines and
the power of their own palate, they
must identify the wines tasted by region,
appellation, producer, varietal, vineyard
designate if applicable, as well as
vintage.
Many more people take the test than pass it,
and often it takes future Masters several
attempts before they succeed. Yet, the
fact of the matter is 272
people have been able to pass these
blind tastings. It seems mind-boggling, but the
trick is that their truly is a 'stamp' of
terroir - each vintage will also carry the
variations of that growing season, but a
thoughtfully crafted wine from a
great vineyard or area will have a
consistent character that separates it from
all other wines.
As one becomes more
versed in wine tasting through experience,
terroir is one of the most magical and
transcendental parts of wine. For those of
you just starting to learn about wine
tasting, I hope there is something
reassuring in knowing that a great wine
is ultimately a matter of Nature - and the
best winegrowers and winemakers understand that
their role is as a steward, not
a creator.
Next Article:
Wine Serving Temperature Guide
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