What's Terroir?

First, how do you pronounce terroir?    tehr·waar

There is much discussion within the industry about the exact definition of "terroir" - and how it links, or doesn't. to what we taste in our glass.

In general, the following elements are considered to be part of the definition of "terroir":
1. Climate
2. Soil
3. Terrain

• location/latitude
• geological features (coastal/inland, proximity to large bodies of water, other flora [plants/trees], etc
• elevation (mountain or valley)
• sun exposure

While the particulars of a vintage/year absolutely are a factor in defining a specific vintage of a wine - they are not included in the definition of terroir:

* Weather:

• Rainfall
• Temperatures

However, there is much debate about whether the human aspect should be included, or not:

A. Varietal planted
B. Farming practices (dry-farming, sustainable/organic/biodynamic, leaf pulling, 
pruning, vine-training, canopy management, etc.)
C. Winemaking style (free run vs press, cold soaking, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, punchdowns vs pump-overs, secondary malolactic fermentation, gravity-fed, whole cluster, lees contact, oak barrel/cask/stainless/concrete/egg/amphora, % of new/neutral oak, oak origin/forest, barrel treatment/toast, how long wine is aged before bottling, fining & filtering)

I think my favorite discussion on the topic is a post in Wine Spectator by Harvey Steiman from a number of years ago.

Wine Tasting 101

Wine Tasting - 5 Simple Steps to Remember ...

Let's start with a quick review of the 5 S's in Wine Tasting:

Pour yourself < 3 ounces of wine in a wine glass....

1.  SEE - You can detect many things about the wine in your glass from the color, whether it's white, rose, red (or even orange!)   Things to consider:

A. Color/Hue  link to a comprehensive list of color descriptors  

B. Intensity - is it opaque?   or translucent?

C. Viscosity - are there thick "legs" dripping down the side of the glass?   If so, this tells us there's higher alcohol and/or residual sugar.  Lower viscosity = lower alcohol &/or sugar.

2.  SWIRL - A good swirl exposes your wine to oxygen, which is especially helpful when you've just opened the bottle. A couple of big swirls will help the wine in your glass to open up and release it's aroma, which is very important for Step #3.  

PRO TIP:  I find an easy way to learn to swirl is to place two of your fingers on the base of a stemmed wine glass while it's on a table. Then, move the wine glass in a circular fashion while it's on the table, I tend to go counter-clockwise, but either way works. As you get more comfortable, you can try holding the stem & swirling your wine in the air, without a table!

3.  SMELL - After swirling, take a deep sniff.  Many people like to close their eyes so they can focus, but that's totally up to you.  Think about it, what aromas do you recognize?   I usually start with thinking about fruit, & then flowers, herbs &/or spices.  Is it earthy?  Do I smell vanilla, toasted nuts, or other Tertiary aromas associated with oak tannins?

4.  SIP - Aromas & Flavors are closely connected, just like your nose & taste buds.  Use your taste to confirm the aromas you detected, and refine them.  Did you identify citrus?  Was it lemon or pink grapefruit, etc.?  tool for learning to describe what your smell & taste

PRO TIP:  After you’ve tasted some wine, take a breath in through your mouth and exhale through your nose - this initiates retronasal smelling (olfaction) & emphasizes flavors!

These are the elements that a Somm evaluates when they taste wine:

A.  Sweet/Dry- Sweet & dry are the two opposite ends of a continuum, you cannot have both.  And remember fruit does not = sweetness.

B.  Acid - does it make your mouth water/salivate?  (that's acidity!)

C. Tannins - tannins are astringent/drying.  Did the saliva in your mouth disappear?  Does your tongue feel like it's velcro'd to the roof of your mouth?  (tannins!)

D. Alcohol - did the wine cause a burning sensation in your nose &/or throat?  the presence of higher alcohol in a wine is often detected by a warming or burning sensation, & many describe it as "hot"

E. Body - does it feel like the wine is rich and fills your mouth?  or is it lean & lithe?

F.  Finish - what is the final note?  how does the wine end?

G. Length - how long before the final flavors in your mouth dissipate?

H. Layers/Complexity - does the wine evolve in your mouth?  or is it simple & one-dimensional?

5.  SUMMARIZE - Developing your wine palate takes time.  I liken it to golf, practice makes perfect. Take a moment to think about what you've just tasted and commit it to memory.  Create your own methods to track what you've tasted - in a Tasting Journal - or mobile app:

Vivino             - general appeal

Cellartracker  - track both your wine purchases/cellar & your tasting notes

OTHER GREAT RESOURCES:

You might also want to check out some things from Madeline Puckett (a James Beard Award-winning Sommelier):

1. download her Wine Tasting 101 pdf

2. taste wine like a badass video

3. buy her Wine Folly Magnus Edition book