FORWARD TO MANIFESTO
January 9, 2022
We human beings have been so incredibly fortunate to have found the vitis vinifera grape and in the happiest of historical accidents, to have managed to elevate its culture to a very refined state. The European grape has been a source of aesthetic, psychological, physiological, even spiritual comfort and consolation in our challenging lives. For vignoscenti, a singular outgrowth of high wine culture has been the cherished notion of terroir, or the expression of a wine’s unique sense of place.
The notion of terroir almost certainly grew out of two primary factors - the fact of the historical continuity of families living in the same place for centuries, developing a deep, almost sacred connection with the land, and the singular rigor and effort required of grape culture, which itself commands a unique quality of attention. Vignerons have naturally asked themselves - in light of all of the effort they were expending - what makes their parcel special and unique compared to that of their neighbors?[1] Monks in the Middle Ages, growing the same varieties, fortunately had the time and bandwidth to rigorously observe small differences between adjacent parcels, and thus the template for a vin de terroir was established. We can think of vins de terroir as wines produced by a winemaker who has subordinated his or her own strong stylistic intention, to understanding and seeking to amplify the unique character of the site itself, which can almost be considered a spiritual practice. At the end of the day, a vigneron stands humbled before his land, like an Old Testament figure, Abraham, let’s say, trying to work out how he might best honor the quiet voice that is speaking to him from deep in the garrigue.
Terroir remains an interpretive notion; despite the ideal of honoring the presumably Platonic or “eternal” features of a site, it is still subject to the vagaries of human intention. We know about some of the activities recommended to amplify the expression of terroir - restricted yields, older vines (if one is so fortunate), deeper rooting, clonal diversity,[2] and most importantly, the fostering of a healthy soil microflora. Addressing these issues, one might perhaps arrive at a more vivid expression of terroir. But the question arises: Is simply a more intense expression of the expected characteristics of a given terroir the most useful pursuit at this time? The world of fine wine appears now to be balancing on the fulcrum between the question of “typicity” and “authenticity” amid a convulsion of innovation and re-interpretation. But in the quest to “make it new” with most innovations occurring primarily in the winery,[3] there is a legitimate danger of losing the qualities that have distinguished the wine and its provenance in the first place, those unique qualities that make special wine special.
This manifesto is an excellent first step to considering a slightly different approach to expanding the notion of terroir. It seeks to reflect in part a more sophisticated understanding of the factors that comprise terroir, to allow for a greater expression of authenticity, (rooted in true complexity), above and beyond mere typicity. It is my hope that vignerons will consider strategies that actively promote biological diversity in their vineyards - from the increase in the number of species - plant, animal, insect, bacteria and fungus - that work to create a complex ecology. A lutte raisonnée is still a struggle; might there be a strategy that can achieve something closer to a homeostatic balance, that enhances the biotic potential of a given site to support more complex populations? It is time to now think about the measures we can take to give our wines added dimensionality and nuance, not merely additional weight and power. Can we teach them to dance and sing, deploying more complex musical chords and rhythms?
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[1] At some point, as wine entered the arteries of commerce, the added mercantile value of product differentiation became obvious.
[2] In the Old World, the appropriate suitability of a given grape variety to the site has more or less been accepted as given, but with the advent of climate change, that datum is also now (or soon) to be on the table. In the New World or in other relatively virgin territory, basic compatibility of variety and site is always an additional factor.
[3] Some of these might include the minimal use of sulfites, fermentation in amphorae, extended skin-contact times for white grapes, etc. While these activities may certainly dramatically change the presentation of a wine’s historic style, ultimately the more relevant and interesting innovations might well take place in the vineyard.
