The Terroir ... according to two North American guys ...

I am enjoying this book very much, as a result of the reflections and tastings of two guys of the "New World", but in love with the "Old World".

It is interesting to see the evolution and conclusions of their arguments (from what has been read so far), since they start from natural pragmatism and skepticism and rooted in the culture of this part of the world (North America), but without giving truce or credit to “everything explain the Science. "

When they talk about “Terroir”, they argue hard against it and refer us to other authors who, rightly, criticize the concept and describe it not only as “myth”, but even as a “joke”, not in vain the concept of terroir had two key moments of resurgence in the last century: at the beginning of the 20th century (when phylloxera devastated France) and in the 80s (when the famous blind wine tasting happened where Californian wines beat those of Bordeaux outright), it is say, the two moments where French hegemony was in danger ... more than suspicious, right? Not to mention that a few hundred years ago, in France, when it was said "gôut de terroir", it was something pejorative ... it meant that a wine tasted bad, it was defective ...

However, they continue to argue, as two true lovers of old France and rise above the prejudices that their culture and origin (New World) could keep them imprisoned. They reach interesting conclusions.

Today the concept of “non-intervention” is very fashionable… the defenders of the ecological, biodynamic… and, above all, natural… as they are self-proclaimed.

However, everything is "intervention." The vineyards are not organized alone, they are not planted in certain places with certain soils and orientations ... it is the human being who does it and who "drives" the vineyard and makes decisions throughout the year about it, even the least "interventionist".

Therefore they argue that the romantic concept of "terroir", as the "purest" and as what "wise Nature" gives us, they deny it and go much further.

Terroir is synonymous with time, centuries ... incessant trial and error in a dance that human being dances with Nature ... and after centuries ... appears that "result" we call "Terroir" ... that is, Time / History ... which is exactly what they "don't have" in the New World, where it all started, almost literally, "yesterday."

So, no matter how much the defenders of Science insist, the “Terroir” will never appear in the laboratory analysis, because Science does not explain everything and, in addition, it will always have a “romantic” and inexplicable component, subjective and, In my opinion, wonderfully magical.

"Globalization" makes each day "Old and New World" come closer, but we can still say that, philosophically, we are different both worlds and in both there are wonderful and not so good things ... some "tale" our French friends always have, but centuries of advantage too, American friends (and New World friends in general).

The "Terroir" exists ... and if it did not exist, it would have to be invented ...like the word "somewhereness"