This concept of Terroir is so obvious.
It is like trying to prove that the sky looks blue. It dawned on me as I returned back from a recent trip. I came back to our humble home and got to sleep in our own bed and do a crap in our own toilet. Neither of these places are special for anyone else because they are in our home, but everyone has the same experience when they come back to there own home.
It is because your home grows on you. Our Domain should be where we feel most comfortable and can express ourselves as who we are, and this also manifests itself in our cave (or house), from its art to the interior design. Everything in our domain is ours because we accept it. It bonds with us and sometimes only us (especially if we have bad taste!) physically, spiritually and mentally. Although there are some who have chosen concept living or Laura Ashley or rely on an interior decorator, admitting they have no style of you own. These people will be incapable of creating there own domain or wines of terroir, so if that is you stick to making commercial wines (expressionless and safe).
This concept manifests in the vineyard once you stop using the ‘General Viticulture’ or ‘ViticultureVolumes 1 and 2’ as bibles and use them only as light reading and food for thought.
To create wine of terroir you must become connected to your land, feel the earth and taste the wine it can make. Then use a closed system of farming (Biodynamics is the logical option) so that everything that is in your wine comes from the air that passes over its landscape and is influenced by it’s subtlety. This air is then infused into the vine and trapped by the soil, bacteria and other plants naturally growing on your land and converted to that year’s growth and life. Later to be captured as a living memory of in time and space (terroir) in your wine. Any additions from outside of domain should be fermented or composted on your land in an attempt to acclimatise them. But, it is best not to bring things in, as this will detract from the purity of your land expression.
Be an artist not a chemist!
21.11.2007
|