Hi my name is konstantin baum i’m a Master of wine and it is terror time This video is going to be special but Also quite challenging Because it’s very difficult to capture a Term like terroir Only for you however i collected all of The relevant information So that i can tell you everything you Need to know about terroir Let’s go [Music] The main problem with terroir is that It’s not clearly defined and it means Different things to different people It originates from france from the word Tere which means Soil or region which is already Confusing because soil and region are Not the same thing Reading through all the different Definitions over the last few days there Are basically two approaches to terroir And one of them is wrong in my opinion The first approach is what i would call The naturalist approach which defines Terroir only as the natural environment Of any viticultural site so under the Naturalist definition The topography in the soil the climate The landscape and the biodiversity Including microbes in the soil Make up the terroir it has become very Clear over the thousands of years that
We make wine That the smell and the taste of grapes Is strongly influenced by their Environment maybe more so than with any Other fruit For naturalists the soil is often Considered to be the most important Factor As the root of the word terroir is tell Which seems to suggest That it only revolves around soil if you Want to learn more about soil and its Impact on wine and wine’s minerality Then check out my video on the topic of Minerality i’ll link it up somewhere up There Proponents of this definition would say Things like my wine is an expression of The sight as if the wine just makes Itself Or flows out of a crack in the soil like A miracle wine fountain I have a problem with this definition as It is misleading in its mythic Simplicity vineyards are not naturally Occurring they are cultured land Managed by people the way a vineyard is Set up which wines are planted and how The vineyard is formed throughout the Year has a strong Impact on the smell and the taste of the Grapes the natural and cultural impact Cannot be separated because no one could Really say
What the expression of a site like Clovujo for example would be If naturally occurring vines would grow Unmanaged up a tree Additionally that wine that is Expressing the side and becomes the Medium for terroir is even further Removed from the side Than the grapes that grow on the vine Wine does not exist in nature it is made By humans And its flavor and taste are strongly Influenced by decisions Made in the winery acting as if a Certain site creates amazing wine Without any human input Creates further confusion in the book The summary is atlas of taste The author describes the discussion Between soil expert Claude bourgeois and the new world wine Maker in which claude borgenion tells The winemaker That he has no terroir because he is Irrigating his vineyards but would that Not mean that the medoc which was and Still Is drained from excess water through Canals has no terroir as well Or does this mean that the people who Put in the terraces into the mosul Ruin the terroir of those sites forever I would argue that the naturalist Approach has created quite a lot of
Confusion and resentment around the term Terroir because it is leaving out one of The key Factors in the expression of a vineyard The human influence Which leads me to a maybe less exciting Approach to terroir The culturalist approach the culturalist Definition of terroir includes the Previously mentioned soil The exposition of the vineyard and all The nature around it But it also includes the human influence Man i should be an artist this includes The viticulture but also the practices In the winery often those practices have Developed over time and there are Different approaches To viticulture and wine making in Different regions or even different Villages It is important to understand that Terroir cannot be created in the winery But it can easily be destroyed in the Winery take for example perfect grapes From a grand cruise site In burgundy dry them like they do for Amarone ferment the wine In new as oak barrels and then fortify It like they do for port Does the wine still have terroir or if a Tree falls in the forest and no one sees It Does it still have terroir a true
Expression of tawa is generally created In the vineyard but has to be supported By the wine making as well The big difference between the two being That the natural conditions cannot be Copied While the know-how in the winery can be Applied in other regions as well This definition is becoming more and More widely accepted even the definition Of the inao and the french institute Nationale De l’orea reads as follows a place where A human community has built a collective Know-how related to production The terroir is based on a system of Interactions between the physical and Biological environment And a set of human factors the Originality and typicity Of the products arises from these Factors Makes sense as these factors or methods Have to be developed over time in order To become Traditions it is also maybe one of the Reasons why new world wine makers talk Far less about terroir than old world Wine makers as the new world has a Shorter wine making history and Generally Loser restrictions on winemaking Practices there is often A less clearly defined expression of
Different sides in the new world Developing those traditions is just a Question of time though and as i Speak there are more and more new Terrorists being analyzed and understood But now let me show you something okay I’m in the nueva mauerberg one of the Best vineyards in my hometown baden Baden and this site Consistently produces amazing quality But why is that Is that because of the perfect exposure Of the slope Is it because of this great great soil Or is it because someone was crazy Enough Back in the days to put in these amazing Terraces here or is it because Winemakers today really want to focus on Quality And lower the yields in order to make Really expressive wines Or is it all of this combined think About it but now back to the cellar Okay the human influences on terroir Through viticulture and winemaking Cannot be looked at separately from the Natural influences So both have to be included in the Definition wine making can mask terror So a great winemaker shows respect to The natural influences That have shaped the smell and the taste Of the grapes and tries to conserve them
In the wine So thank you for watching i hope you Enjoyed this video if you liked it then Please Like it down here subscribe to my Channel if you haven’t done so already My question of the day is an obvious Question what do you think about terror Please Discuss down here let me know what you Think I hope i see you guys again soon until Then stay [Music] Thirsty huh