THE MAJESTY OF THE TERROIR

I just came back from Destin, Florida, where I attended the 2010 Sandestin Wine Festival. It was a great weekend by the sea at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, and I had the chance to try hundreds of wines from all over the world. The venue was paradise like, the wines were superb, and to tell you the truth, the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort’s service was amazing.

The Sandestin Wine Festival was extremely educational, where every winery was helpful, with wonderful professionals, who were always trying to educate on new varietals from all over the world.

I learned from this trip, that the “terroir” is a key element to wine making, and it defines the personality of a wine.

Terroir is the French word for “terre”, and in English “land”. It means the special characteristics that geography determines upon a particular varietal. Experts describe the terroir as “a sense of place”, as it refers to the similar soil qualities, weather conditions, and the farming techniques of a determined piece of land.

If you go back to the history of Burgundy in France, the first vineyards were cultivated by the Benedictine and Cistercian monks who were the only ones that were literate. Those monks were the first to start observing and really study the different lands (or “terroirs”), as they realized the same type of soil would produce a certain type of wine under the same climate conditions. Therefore, the altitude of the land, the topography, location (mountain or valley), annual rainfall, and the drainage of soil, are all elements that define or determine a “terroir”.

Typically, wine makers will capture the essence of the terrior, and will then make decisions on growing, pruning, harvest, length of maceration, and whether they will or not use oak barrels. All these things combined will eventually define the “terroir” as well.

That means that if you pick a Chablis from Burgundy, France or a Chardonnay from Napa Valley, California you will now know that though both wines are made from the same grapes, the flavors are totally different, as they come from different terroirs. The cooler climate from Europe versus the warmer climate from California will certainly make the difference.

So, next time you go to your local wine store think out of the box. Make your choice based on the terroir!

Who knows…that passionate red bold Italian wine from the romantic land of Tuscany might magically bring you a new love to your life!