Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Box 9.1
(continued)
Figure B9.1.2
Pinot Noir vines managed to give an optimum ratio of photosynthetic leaf area to fruit,
Carneros, Napa Valley. Bunches in the middle and on the right-hand side of the
photograph show optimum shading. Photograph by the author. See color insert.
Geology, Climate, and Culture in the Making of French Wines
. Similarly, Pomerol's
(1989) survey of French wines and wine regions was in the form of a “geological
journey.” In section 1.3.1 of this topic, the role of
parent material
in soil forma-
tion is described. But this topic clearly states that soil formation is also influenced
by climate, relief (topography), organisms (including humans), and time.
All these factors interact to determine the type of soil at a particular location
in the landscape. Hence, in examining the relationship between the soil and wine
character, we are inevitably also considering the influence of climate, geology, and
human activity, which has received more attention in the past. Human activity in
vineyards is especially important in the old viticultural areas of Europe, as revealed
by more than 300 years of records of soil building and replacement in Chateau
Latour in the Médoc (Johnson 1994) and also on the shallow chalky soils of Cham-
pagne (section 1.3.3.2).
Two main approaches to defining
terroir
—geographical and technical—are
discussed in the following sections.
The Geographical Approach
Traditionally, wine areas in Europe have been delineated strictly on geography,
taking account of the geology, soils, topography, mesoclimate, grape varieties, and
whether there has been a consistent distinctive character associated with the wines
9.2.1
