Wine and Place: A Terroir Reader

by Tim Patterson (Editor), John Buechsenstein (Editor), Patrick J. Comiskey (Foreword by)

Overview

The concept of terroir is one of the most celebrated and controversial subjects in wine today. Most will agree that well-made wine has the capacity to express “somewhereness,” a set of consistent aromatics, flavors, or textures that amount to a signature expression of place. But for every advocate there is a skeptic, and for every writer singing praises related to terroir there is a study or a detractor seeking to debunk terroir as myth. Wine and Place examines terroir using a multitude of voices and points of view—from winemakers to wine critics, from science to literature—seeking not to prove its veracity but to explore its pros, cons, and other aspects. This comprehensive anthology lets readers come to their own conclusions about terroir.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520277007
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	01/02/2018
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	344
Sales rank:	799,232
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Tim Patterson was an award-winning home winemaker and author of several books including Home Winemaking for Dummies and Concannon: The First One Hundred and Twenty-five Years. He was also a columnist for Wines & Vines and a contributor to numerous books, magazines, and websites.
 
John Buechsenstein is a winemaker and wine educator. He is past president of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture and coauthor of the Standardized System of Wine Aroma Terminology, among other titles. 

Table of Contents

Foreword Patrick J. Comiskey ix

Introduction: Why Terroir Matters 1

1 The Lure and Promise of Terroir 7

2 History and Definitions 32

3 Soil: The Terre in Terroir 59

4 Climate: Limits and Variations 92

5 Grapevines: Bringing Terroir to Life 122

6 Winemaking: The Human Element in Terroir 151

7 Sensory: Validating Terroir 187

8 Marketing: Terroir for Sale 223

9 The Future of Terroir 260

10 Postscriptum 291

Acknowledgments Nancy G. Freeman 294

Acknowledgments John Buechsenstein 295

Bibliography 297

Credits for Reprinted Materials 305

Index 313

Editorial Reviews

"...if you’re looking to read a wide and diverse body of text about what terroir is and where it comes from, you’ll find few books on par with this one." 

Edible East Bay

"This anthology shares characteristics with fine wines: complex, nuanced, and well-balanced. . . . If you want a whirlwind exploration of a vast, complex topic, buy this book: there’s nothing else out there like it."

EuropeNow

"I cannot emphasize enough how important this book has been to me and should be to the fine-wine community. It should be required reading for all students of vine and wine." — Brian Croser 

JancisRobinson.com

"This book is essential for your library if you are at all serious about wine. As the authors advise, use it as a reference book when you need information about a topic or just a few pithy quotes. The authors have performed a real service cataloging and connecting a well-selected multitude of writings and presentations about terroir."

Journal of Wine Economics