Just grapes
While V&S was in town last month - the first time this huge wine expo was held in Asia - the convention centre was deluged with French wine people talking about terroir, terroir, terroir (literally meaning 'soil', but the word has come to encompass topography and climate). Anyone would think France - and Bordeaux in particular - was the only place on Earth with just the perfect formula needed to grow respectable grapes.
The fact is that no grape vine - no matter how old or tiny - can escape its effects.
And no winemaker anywhere on the planet can ignore its components and power. Quite simply, every vineyard in the grape-growing world possesses its own brand of terroir. And a wide spectrum of soil types do a terrific job of sending nourishment into the vines and fruit.
But terroir - though extremely important - is only one ingredient affecting the process, and ultimately the wine in the glass.
When you think about all the other factors that come into play for the production of wine - the exact harvest time, types of grapes planted, threat of dreaded blights, the frustrations involving mould, mildew, the occasional 'sick' vine, pests, the age, type and size of the barrels, length of fermentation, nearness to a body of water, age of the vines, choice of viticultural practices, use of herbicides and other chemicals, the benefit of composting in the vineyards to keep the soil more 'alive' with positive microbial activity, the manner in which the grapes are picked, the philosophy and expertise of the winemaker, the latest advances in technology, and a bit of luck - you begin to appreciate how complex - and fragile - it is to create a really special wine.
So that marvellous pinot noir - from France, Italy, Chile or Australia - that you enjoyed the other night - in addition to all the above factors, terroir included - might well also owe a debt of gratitude to the 4,000-year-old practice of fung shui - which aims for harmony with nature in order to create good fortune. Now isn't discovering a truly special wine just that?
