Terroir: The good parts and the not-so-good parts

Terroir is defined as the set of special characteristics of the geography, geology and climate of a certain place that interact with the genetics of a plant, influencing the flavors of that plant. In short, it is what makes wine grapes from one region taste different and unique from those of another region. It is why some of us prefer Syrah from the Rhone Valley in France while others like those from Washington State better, and still others prefer their Shiraz from South Africa.

The most highly trained wine professionals can easily tell you the region of origin of the wine they have in a glass just by smelling it. While that caliber of olfactory senses is beyond my ability, I too can tell certain varietals and regions. For instance, after working at a winery known for their great Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, Calif., I can easily tell which wines are from "the Russian" versus those from Oregon versus those from Burgundy, based on smell. The different terroir for those areas and the Pinot Noir varietal are that expressive.

Most all of the influence of terroir on wine grapes and wine is positive; it is, in fact, what gives wine its sense of place, which in turn is one of the things about wine that elicits the most passion. But what about when terroir goes too far, when through winemaking it is "amped up" to a point that it becomes undesirable?

The short answer for consumers is to always try before you buy, especially when you are contemplating wines from producers you are not familiar with. While those winemakers you know well are unlikely to change styles drastically over the short run, you need to get to know a winemaker before you develop that comfort level.

The longer answer, though, is to pay close attention to those appellations that seem to be heading strongly in the direction of over-emphasizing the unique characteristics of their terroir. Australia is a great example. There are still some good wines produced "Down Under," where the unique influence of Eucalyptus is present in the wines, but not over-emphasized. The Eucalyptus aromatic can be increased during winemaking through additional time in oak barrels, which either through manufacturing origin or toast level, presents a more aggressive oak profile. These "over-eucalyptused" wines for us are not drinkable, and a great example of the down side of embracing too much the terroir.

We are beginning to see a similar trend with Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The Willamette is known for its very cool nights and warm days during the growing season. This temperature spread is one of the things that wine grapes need to develop not only great flavor profiles, but also proper grape chemistry. The very cool, some might say cold, nights in the grape-growing regions of Oregon develop very high acid levels in the Pinot Noir grape, making the wines from this area not only detectable in a blind tasting, but at times undrinkable when the wines are young. This high acid character of the wines is being increased by clonal selection in the vineyard and by choices during winemaking to the point where it is overdone. Some Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs are developing an aromatic profile that can only be described as "dill pickle," as the acids reach higher and higher levels.

Like Australian Shiraz, it is becoming increasingly important to try Oregon Pinot Noir before buying, if this profile does not appeal to you. The other choice is to stick with producers you know well and like from both places to ensure the wine will be to your liking. In the case of Oregon, these acids do calm with bottle age, so we are finding that the reserve bottlings from some Oregon wineries show less of the off-putting dill pickle aromatics, resulting in some "spendy" but lovely Pinot Noir.

We always encourage wine consumers to try wines before buying them in size. However, with wine regions that start to embrace terroir-driven characteristics to the point when they cause the wine to become unbalanced and for some of us unpleasant, tasting first or consulting your favorite wine professional is vital to a good wine experience.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party, a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George is also the managing judge of The North Idaho Wine Rodeo and is the wine editor for Coeur d'Alene Magazine (www.cdamagazine.com). You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles, as well as other great wine tips, by friending us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.