01 — Soil

Wine is unlike most other agricultural products in the world in that the worse the soil, the better the end result. Fertile soils let a grapevine produce abundant fruit, which dilutes the concentration of fructose, thus diminishing the end flavor of the wine. The study of soils, or “terroir” as sommeliers call it, isn’t a new undertaking. 

In Burgundy, the terroir lovers paradise and home to the half-million dollar Romanee-Conti Grand Cru, the study of soil composition has been going on since the 10th century. The Benedictine monks of Cluny were the first soil scientists, examining two grapes across the span of vineyards they cultivated for communion wine. They learned that marl (an amalgamate of limestone and clay) creates tremendous concentration in Chardonnay while the finicky PInot Noir thrives on quick draining limestone. The area on the hillside was also taken into consideration with the top of the hills being classified as Wine of the Cardinals (today’s Premier or 1er Cru), the middle of the slope designated as Wine of the Popes (97% of Grand Cru are mid-slope), and the base of the hill/plains considered as Wines of the Bishops (Village or Bourgogne labeled wine).

02 — Water

Once again, the grapevine contrasts with your average plants when it comes to water. The best wine comes from a vine that is kept dry. While soil composition again comes into play with water, slopes play another aspect (pun intended) in water’s role in winemaking.

In Champagne, they have delineated specific subregions off of this very concept. While Brut Champagne is colloquially known as “Dry,” the vast treeless expanses around Epernay and Reims are called the “dry Champagne.” The reason for this is the chalk that serves as the predominant soil in this area. This chalk drains moisture from the topsoil like a subterranean sponge that keeps water away from the surface vines. In “wet Champagne,” around the town of Aube limestone and marl subsoils allow topsoils to retain moisture as is evidenced by the greater concentration of forests in this area.

Water also impacts wine in the production of mold and mildew. Have you ever had a dessert wine like Sauternes? Did you know that this wine came about because of mold? For those lusciously succulent after dinner tipples we can thank botrytis cinerea, a mold that naturally raisinifies a grape allowing for concentrated sugars.

03 — Winemaking

This is where human intervention comes into play.

From the pruning of grapevines to the use or disuse of pesticides (look into organic and biodynamic wines), the treatment of the vine during cultivation is important to the end result of wine.

We see the fermentation of grape juice into wine during this process along with the maceration of grape-skins in juice to produce color. For the majority of grapes, the juice produced is white, therefore to make a red wine requires saturation of the skins of the grapes in this white juice.

It is in the winemaking process that we begin see the use of wooden barrels in some regions. Wood barrel fermentation allows for the depth of flavor that oak imparts during aging to begin early. Often, these days, this process is foregone in favor of stainless steel fermentation where temperatures during a ferment can be tracked constantly.

04 - Aging

Once a wine has been fermented to a state where all residual sugar is gone, it is time to age that wine. Aging is uncommon in white wines, unless you are dealing with the bolder categories such as Chardonnay. In red wine, however, most wines are subjected to aging prior to their release. Most aging is done using oak barrels. Oak allows for micro-oxidation of a wine over time while also imbuing extra flavors to the liquid within. Oak is produced both in the United States, but also in France. These different styles of oak actually impart different flavors with American Oak providing bold stylings such as the oaky Chardonnay’s from Napa Valley and Sonoma. French oak is more subtle producing the notes that are often seen in Burgundy wines.

Outside of oak, there are other vessels for aging. Stainless Steel, in addition to fermentation, is used in the aging of some high acid white wines and roses. Cement eggs have become popular with natural wines where expressions of terroir are emphasized. In other regions that focus on the historical approaches to winemaking, amphorae are popular. This is especially true in the country of Georgia where large amphora known as qvevri are used for the fermenting and aging of the nations unique wines in following with an 8000 year tradition.