Vineyards and Controversy

Of the five major factors affecting the different aromas and tastes in wine (variety, vineyard, vintage, vineyard practice and wine-making), the vineyard the grape is grown in generates the greatest passion and controversy. Whilst it is certainly true that in some parts of any vineyard grapes grow and ripen better than in other parts, the soil’s role in actually affecting the flavour of wine is scientifically unproven, despite extensive efforts to do so.

Perhaps it is a case of our romantic link with the land that we attribute so much to the soil, for, sadly, it is quite rare to be able to identify specific aromas and tastes of a wine to its vineyard.   More often, the other factors of variety, vintage, vineyard practice and wine-making dominate the taste and aroma of a wine.  It is only rarely, when you are drinking a wine from an unusual vineyard, combined with minimalist wine-making, that you can isolate vineyard-specific aromas and tastes. 

One example worth experiencing is Sauvignon Blanc that comes from the Marlborough region of New Zealand – in those wines one can detect strong and remarkably consistent aromas and flavours no matter who the producer is and no matter which vintage.

Burgundy is often cited as the home of vineyard-driven (terroir) wines, with each vineyard ranked according to a fixed hierarchy (Grand Cru, Premier Cru, etc) based on the quality of the wines produced from the that patch of soil over hundreds of years.   The reality is that the Burgundy we drink is far too variable to conclude that the vineyard should be considered the pre-eminent factor of quality.   At best a vineyard classification may tell you something about the potential quality of a wine; at worst it allows producers to sell wine at too high a price, so, unless you can taste it first, caveat emptor.

At Summertown Wine Café two of our best selling wines are the St Clair Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough and the Joseph Drouhin Pinot Noir from Burgundy, so if you want to taste the effect of vineyard sites for yourself, mention this article and we’ll be happy to give you a taste anytime.

Rob Malcolm