6 minute read
Exploring Virginia Wines
What is Terroir and Why Does it Matter?
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One of the nice things about social media is that we can have some thought-provoking discussions without having to be together in the same room. Yes, sometimes we get some trolls or ridiculous characters spouting off their opinions so they feel better, but when you know the people behind the words, this method of communication can work. We had a pretty good discussion the other week about terroir and whether or not Virginia wines show terroir.
First off, what is terroir? Well, literally it is the French word for region, and comes from the word for soil, terre. But in the wine and foodie world, it has come to mean “the sense of place.” Oysters are the ultimate example of sense of place as the water of each estuary is a little different and that shows itself in the oyster’s flavor. As for wine, the terroir is expressed by a consistency of style in wines made in the same region or from the same vineyard. I have heard terroir described as the combination of the ground, the grower and the grape.
Do we add the winemaker to that “ground, grower, and grape” definition of terroir? Do we push for consistency, drinkability, reflection of the vintage, or what can sell? As a winemaker, I want my wine to show more about the soil and the fruit than it does my involvement in making it. I like to think that the fruit quality will shine through the many choices a winemaker makes during the long process. One challenge winemakers run into, though, when trying to be “hands off” is vintage variance. With our changing climate we have had some widely varying growing seasons resulting in grapes and wines of different flavors and styles. In a year like 2018, for example, when the rains continued to come down all the way through harvest, many winemakers in the area chose not to make red wines at all, while others worked extra hard to make a wine consistent with their style and previous vintages. A heavier hand from the winemaker was needed in that vintage to make the wines work in the bottle. I feel the challenges we continue to face with vintage variance need to allow for the winemaker to do their job to make locally grown wines that sell.
Our region may still be too young to express true terroir. Our vineyards are still relatively young and our viticulturists are still learning what works best here. We will continue to grow and refine, and I think these answers will come over time. One thing is for sure, Virginia is very well suited to be a leader on the Atlantic coast for quality wines, and we have the passion and the drive to keep the industry growing. This is not an easy business, but striving for excellence with every wine and every vintage will continue our growth as a high-quality wine region, with an emerging and distinctive terroir.
Virginia, although he uses the term ‘clean wine’ to describe his products. It’s a minor but notable difference; ‘natural’ winemakers usually don’t filter their wine to remove cloudiness, as most winemakers do. However, Jason worries that some wine drinkers will assume cloudy wine is faulted, so he’s willing to make this concession to make ‘clean wine’ more approachable.
Besides that, the term ‘clean’ speaks directly to his signature style – the use of native yeasts, which won’t ferment without especially-clean fruit. Jason explained “One thing all of these wineries agree on is natural wine starts with clean fruit. While none (of the natural winemakers in Virginia) currently use certified organic or biodynamic grapes, they take extra precautions to ensure the fruit they use is free of residual pesticides/fungicides.”
Paul and Loretta Briedé of Briedé Family Vineyards know more than a thing or two about natural wine, as they previously managed one of Virginia’s only organic vineyards. They also understand how challenging this undertaking is, as in 2018 they were forced to give up their organic certification when disease threatened to destroy their vines and they had to use conventional pesticides to save them.
Having farmed both organically and conventionally, the Briedés understand that having an organic program doesn’t mean that organic grapes aren’t by definition more exceptional, or that conventional viticulture strongly deviates from organic viticulture. Many of their current vineyard practices borrow heavily from when they maintained their vineyard organically, including minimal spraying and housing beneficial insects to control the balance of good bugs and bad ones.
It also helps that they planted grapes which perform well in Virginia’s humidity, minimizing the need for conventional pesticides. Hybrids are a popular choice for natural wines, as Europeanstyle vinifera grapes are difficult to grow without using conventional pesticides.
One of these grapes is a newer red hybrid from Cornell University named Arandell. The other is Cayuga, a white grape hybrid extensively planted along the east coast and especially used in sparkling wines. As for sulfites, even their Sparkling Winchester wine still has 35 ppm, all of which is naturally occurring yet higher than what the French definition of ‘natural wine’ would allow.
The lineup at Rock Roadhouse Winery
Arandell and the Speed of Sound red blend
Local Natural Wines You Can Try
While it’s a small market, Virginia does have a number of options you can sample. Here are some favorites:
As a longtime member of Arterra Wines, I can attest to their entire lineup. The natural yeast Jason uses gives his wines a viscosity and raciness not found in more conventional wines.
But my favorite is his Tannat. Jason is something of a Tannat magician, and his have a width on the palate that I can’t get enough of.
Rock Roadhouse’s wines are harder to describe – perhaps because until my visit I’ve never had wine made in this style. The 2018 Cabernet Franc with strawberry notes on the nose but a full but fruity palate was arguably my favorite, but their Cayuga and Merlot-blend Rosé was up there.
Briedé’s Arandell is possibly the most difficult of this lineup to describe, but my take is it reminded me of certain earthy Italian varietals, despite a heritage which includes Pinot Noir. Recently they also released a 50/50 Arandell/ Tannat blend, which is an exciting combination.
Regardless of what you drink, remember; “natural” is still in the eye of the beholder. But so long as producers are up-front with what’s in the glass, natural wines will find avid consumers looking for something different.
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