(Reflection of Place)
Perhaps - or it could be that this definition of ter wahr is too narrow.
The Institut National des Appellations d'Origin (I.N.A.O.), the governing body of the French appellation system, has a broader definition of ter wahr.
They define it as the set of physical characteristics of a delimited territory, namely the topography (altitude, degree of slope, etc.), soil, subsoil, grape varieties that have been traditionally grown there, exposure to the sun, degree of water present, climate and microclimate . . . PLUS "the hand of man".
That is, the characteristics of the human intervention in this particular territory (most notably traditions of grape production and wine making in common usage over the centuries, and use of a particular name for that delimited territory).
In more simple terms, the ter wahr is the sum of all the factors that make a place unique, and original (thus the name "appellation d'origin"), and that make the wine that comes from grapes grown in that particular place unique and original.
The idea is that winemakers and vintages come and go, but that if one observes traditional wine growing and wine making rules, grapes from a particular place will always produce a wine with a recognizable style and taste.
In its largest sense, the effect of all of the different natural factors on the grapes produced in a particular place is hard to deny.
Climate is certainly a huge determining factor in wine style, and belies the concept that grape variety is really what determines the style of the wine (a more New World idea).
Just taste a Chardonnay from Burgundy and compare it with another from Provence, or from California, Australia, or Oregon, and you have five very differently styled wines.
Where the concept gets contentious is at the more local level.
Burgundy is often used as the prime example of the effect of ter wahr from one parcel of land, or vineyard, to another. In this area, single grape varieties are used (Pino Noir for the reds, Chardonnay for the whites).
So that only leaves wine making techniques, and/or ter wahr to account for the differences in style, and taste between appellations. If one tastes two different wines from two vineyards that are located right next to each other, and that have gone through exactly the same vinification, one often finds a marked difference between the styles.
It is difficult to not attribute the difference in this case, to the slight differences in microclimate, slope, drainage and exposure to the sun that influence the degree of ripeness of the grapes (in other words, the ter wahr).
All this is not to say that man has no influence on the style of wine; of course he does.
A great ter wahr provides raw material and potential; it is up to man to use that potential to make a great wine.
But this is where New World and Old World wine making philosophies have often differed.
It was often the practice in New World wineries to decide on the style of wine one wanted to make, and then to use wine making techniques to make that style of wine.
In the Old World, one started with a ter wahr and, with as little intervention as possible, allowed the ter wahr to "express itself", thereby creating a certain style of wine.
But these lines between Old and New World thought, have become increasingly blurred in recent years. With more and more communication and sharing of techniques between countries, many New World winemakers (many of whom come from, or studied in, the Old World) have become interested in ter wahr-driven wine making.
On their side, more and more Old World winemakers have visited (and have received visitors from) the New World, and are using more modern wine making techniques to produce wines that have a style that is independent from the ter wahr in which the grapes were grown.
In the end, we will likely see these two concepts living happily side by side, and it'll be up to the consumer to determine whether ter wahr is important in his choice of wines to buy and drink.
Courtesy of:
FRENCH WINE EXPLORERS
Perhaps - or it could be that this definition of ter wahr is too narrow.
The Institut National des Appellations d'Origin (I.N.A.O.), the governing body of the French appellation system, has a broader definition of ter wahr.
They define it as the set of physical characteristics of a delimited territory, namely the topography (altitude, degree of slope, etc.), soil, subsoil, grape varieties that have been traditionally grown there, exposure to the sun, degree of water present, climate and microclimate . . . PLUS "the hand of man".
That is, the characteristics of the human intervention in this particular territory (most notably traditions of grape production and wine making in common usage over the centuries, and use of a particular name for that delimited territory).
In more simple terms, the ter wahr is the sum of all the factors that make a place unique, and original (thus the name "appellation d'origin"), and that make the wine that comes from grapes grown in that particular place unique and original.
The idea is that winemakers and vintages come and go, but that if one observes traditional wine growing and wine making rules, grapes from a particular place will always produce a wine with a recognizable style and taste.
In its largest sense, the effect of all of the different natural factors on the grapes produced in a particular place is hard to deny.
Climate is certainly a huge determining factor in wine style, and belies the concept that grape variety is really what determines the style of the wine (a more New World idea).
Just taste a Chardonnay from Burgundy and compare it with another from Provence, or from California, Australia, or Oregon, and you have five very differently styled wines.
Where the concept gets contentious is at the more local level.
Burgundy is often used as the prime example of the effect of ter wahr from one parcel of land, or vineyard, to another. In this area, single grape varieties are used (Pino Noir for the reds, Chardonnay for the whites).
So that only leaves wine making techniques, and/or ter wahr to account for the differences in style, and taste between appellations. If one tastes two different wines from two vineyards that are located right next to each other, and that have gone through exactly the same vinification, one often finds a marked difference between the styles.
It is difficult to not attribute the difference in this case, to the slight differences in microclimate, slope, drainage and exposure to the sun that influence the degree of ripeness of the grapes (in other words, the ter wahr).
All this is not to say that man has no influence on the style of wine; of course he does.
A great ter wahr provides raw material and potential; it is up to man to use that potential to make a great wine.
But this is where New World and Old World wine making philosophies have often differed.
It was often the practice in New World wineries to decide on the style of wine one wanted to make, and then to use wine making techniques to make that style of wine.
In the Old World, one started with a ter wahr and, with as little intervention as possible, allowed the ter wahr to "express itself", thereby creating a certain style of wine.
But these lines between Old and New World thought, have become increasingly blurred in recent years. With more and more communication and sharing of techniques between countries, many New World winemakers (many of whom come from, or studied in, the Old World) have become interested in ter wahr-driven wine making.
On their side, more and more Old World winemakers have visited (and have received visitors from) the New World, and are using more modern wine making techniques to produce wines that have a style that is independent from the ter wahr in which the grapes were grown.
In the end, we will likely see these two concepts living happily side by side, and it'll be up to the consumer to determine whether ter wahr is important in his choice of wines to buy and drink.
Courtesy of:
FRENCH WINE EXPLORERS