Comments on: What’s More Important Than Terroir?

By: Nicola

Nicola — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:51:00 +0000

Tom, no doubt that it’s true, and it’s an interesting point. I’ll have to think about that a bit more. I have trouble separating the energy & spirituality from the contributions of the winemaker, him or herself. Perhaps I’m being too logical about this, but I see these magical components as being transmitted through to the final wine product via the winemaker.

By: Tom Powers

Tom Powers — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:42:56 +0000

Thank you Nicola for your keen observation. I would add that there is even a third critical component to the process. It is the emotion, the faith, the prayers, the very energy that goes into making the wine. There is certainly a very spiritual side to winemaking. While science and experience can dictate the final product on a more tangible level, there is something special, sometimes magical that occurs in the process.

By: Nicola

Nicola — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:49:39 +0000

I agree with you, I find it interesting that we want to point to one thing. We like to compartmentalize our explanations. It’s X that makes a great wine, or it’s Y. Why is it so hard to accept that it might be X, Y, and Z working simultaneously? I think terroir is analogous to genetic makeup (“nature”); as you point out it’s the “raw materials”. The role of the winemaker is analogous to the experience we have as humans living life (“nurture”). We are the people we are based on the collision of nature and nurture; why is it so hard to accept that wines are what they are because of the simultaneity of terroir and winemaking style?

By: Keith Hickson

Keith Hickson — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:02:39 +0000

Great summation and the last sentence says it all for me.