How Does a Better Understanding of Wine Science Fit with Understanding Wine?

RE: How Does a Better Understanding of Wine Science Fit with Understanding Wine?

user27350 — Sat, 09 May 2020 19:25:38 GMT

No need for peeps to work in a winery to have a better understanding of terroir. Rather, a little bit of time tending plants and gardening would be more helpful—vines are a just a type of plant, after all. Someone would always have an ah-ha moment when I would attempt to demystify Burgundy by comparing it to my patio when teaching. Right now I am still surprised at how persnickity a potted Madagascar palm is to it’s placement within an equally sunny 15’ x 20’ space. Even after years of landscaping, the hidden dialog between plants and their location still amazes. Interestingly, the orange tree looks better than it used to and has loads more fruit since we started fertilizing, but the oranges aren’t half as tasty. Tending anything edible gives one more of an appreciation for the frustrations of pest management. Despite being cute, I wouldn’t care if ringtails went extinct just so that my guavas could ripen on the trees (and it would also be nice for them not to be playing football with avocados on the roof over my bed at 3am).

RE: How Does a Better Understanding of Wine Science Fit with Understanding Wine?

user4372 — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 00:57:06 GMT

Yes indeed, I fully agree that experience of the wine when tasted needs to be looked at more. After all wine ultimately is meant to shared and enjoyed. Even in a testing atmosphere the overall experience of the wine should be of importance. Thanks for the article.

RE: How Does a Better Understanding of Wine Science Fit with Understanding Wine?

user5988 — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 02:14:53 GMT

Thanks for all the comments. Jose Luis - yes, I have met Pedro Parra. He's one of the most highly regarded terroir experts and consultants

RE: How Does a Better Understanding of Wine Science Fit with Understanding Wine?

user15805 — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 02:07:00 GMT

Thanks for the explanation of how science is just one tool in wine. Looking forward to reading the wine science expanded guide.

RE: How Does a Better Understanding of Wine Science Fit with Understanding Wine?

user13949 — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 19:02:23 GMT

You should meet my friend Pedro Parra he is a PhD Terroir!

RE: How Does a Better Understanding of Wine Science Fit with Understanding Wine?

user20320 — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 17:03:04 GMT

Can't wait for "I Taste Red" - I believe that the fundamentals of flavor (for food and beverage) and sensory evaluation need to be taught before moving into the particular application of these methods to deductive wine tasting.

RE: How Does a Better Understanding of Wine Science Fit with Understanding Wine?

user14222 — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 18:31:38 GMT

[mention:043d8ef4f7054ec2b3e011e14d9ab773:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05] interesting read, would love to hear your thoughts with your background. :)

RE: How Does a Better Understanding of Wine Science Fit with Understanding Wine?

user16603 — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 17:24:53 GMT

I give tours at the winery I work at so I sympathize with there being "no single right answer" to a question. However I believe that people interested in wine should have the opportunity to see all angles, rather than as educators focusing in on the black and white. The fact that it is possible to blind taste a Sancerre versus a Pouilly Fume, and be able to explain to how the soils on either side of the Loire River affect the wines individually is what makes wine a mixture of art and science. And I think that educators would be able to better understand the science if they spent more time working at wineries so they could appreciate all the subtle details that go in to making a wine from grapes grown across an entire AVA.