David Hulley
On Wine

Water and wine

Everyone in the wine business talks about it. Some argue that it is a myth. Many scientific papers have given credence to the idea while others have discredited the entire notion. Regardless, at some point during the evaluation of fine wine, tasters always end up at "terroir."

As we've discussed previously "terroir" is a French term that has been explained by the made up term "somewhereness." There is no direct English translation for the French word but it indicates that a product grown and cultivated in a specific place will reflect the "taste" of the place that cannot be replicated anywhere else. For example, Pinot Noir from a vineyard in the Cote Nuit in Burgundy is inherently distinctive from any other Pinot Noir grown in the world.

Accepting that terroir is factual, many have asked about how the specific components (soil, water, weather, geology, topography, etc.) relate to the tastes in grapes and wine. This is a very challenging question. The short answer seems to be tied mostly to the hydrology (soil-water) relationship of a specific site. Many scientific papers point to this one important factor when it comes to grapes fully expressing mature ripeness and "terroir." Certainly mineral and nitrogen content in a soil along with sun and heat units have important roles, but the nature of the water supply to the vine through specific soil dynamics seems to dominate taste outcomes. Keeping it relatively simple, each place on earth enjoys a specific subset of rain, ground water, and soil-water potential. These subsets are naturally occurring and are not significantly influenced by management. Therefore, natural "terroir" does exist and it is expressed through ripe, mature fruit.

To look at this in simple terms, when Sauvignon Blanc vines receive plentiful water, the grape expresses more grassy tastes whereas dry farmed Sauvignon Blanc expresses more fruity flavours. Of course the "water story" is far more detailed than my example but the complexities of that discussion are mostly unknown. We must rely once again on the fact that terroir is expressed most significantly when vines receive just enough water at just the right times leading towards properly matured and ripened grapes.

Even though the specific effects of terroir components on specific essences in the wine are still poorly understood, we can taste and recognize the consistent flavours of terroir. Again, all top producing vineyards are consistently ‘good to excellent' due in most part to superior, natural hydrology. Still, each defined vineyard continues to produce its own unique style of fruit. Even great wines grown within dozens of meters of each other in dissimilar soil conditions but with similar perfect hydrology and the same grape varieties still stand out and express their pin-pointed place. This remains the mystery and vive le difference!