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3 0 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J a n - F e b 2 017 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m Sols (LAMS), believes soil fungi, called mycorrhizae, are the key to terroir expression. "It's bacte- ria that enables the vine's roots to assimilate nutrients. So it's impos- sible to distinguish between wines from different terroirs if the soil is biologically dead." With the rise of organic and bio- dynamic viticulture, the winegrow- ing community is paying closer attention to the biological activity of the soil. For the most part, scien- tists and winegrowers have accept- ed that a vine takes up minerals from the soil through its root sys- tem as positively charged cations, and that different levels of cations are available in different soils. For example, the more plant- available iron that's around, the more the vine will absorb. But gon's Willamette Valley." Matching a variety to the climate and manag- ing grapevines to account for soil types so ripening occurs at the opti- mal temperature is likely the key to a region developing a distinctive quality wine style. While there's still no scientific proof for typicity, we can begin to describe it in terms of a microbial signature. David Mills, professor and the Peter J. Shields endowed chair in the departments of food science and technology at UC Davis, did research identifying the associations between the micro- bial patterns in vineyards and fin- ished wine. I n a d d i t i o n , s o i l m i c r o b i o l o - gist Claude Bouguignon, director and co-founder of the Laboratoire d'Analyses Microbiologiques des Pogue cautions there are other nutritive elements that don't work like that, "If you happen to have a soil that's high in calcium, it doesn't mean the vine will absorb extra calcium just because it's available." For Pogue, the holy grail of ter- roir is determining how the syn- thesis of phenolics in the ripening grapes is affected by the varying concentrations of plant-available nutrients in different soils. MINERALITY AS A MISNOMER While research is gradually dis- pelling the myths about the con- nections between soil and the flavors in finished wine, it seem- ingly hasn't made the belief in ter- roir any less romantic. But the use of soil-related terms like terroir and minerality when referring to wine flavor are being questioned by geol- ogists and microbiologists alike. Some, like Mills, advocate that sci- entists should forgo using the emo- tionally charged terroir and all of its connotations and focus solely on the mechanistic relationships that explain wine flavor. When asked, academics and professionals are more inclined to abandon the word minerality in describing wine than to relinquish their use of terroir, which brings us full circle and back to semantics. Given what we do know, few will argue with author James Wilson's view of the relationship between soil and vine: "Vines don't eat rock, per se, but sip on mineral concoc- tions dissolved from them." For the ever-pragmatic Jones, "Fully understanding the scientific basis of terroir may never come, but the pursuit and discovery informed by our research is what drives all of these scientists every day." Deborah Parker Wong is the Northern California editor for The Tasting Panel magazine, and a long- time contributor to Vineyard & Win- ery Management. She earned her WSET Diploma in 2009. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com Soil (light to Heavy) Riesling Chardonnay Sauvingnon Blanc Semillion Trebbiano Muscat Granite Chalk X X Limestone X X X X Marl X X Loam X Gravel X X Clay Sandy Slate X THE NEIRYNCK SOIL MATRIX Soil (light to Heavy) Cabernet Sauvingnon Syrah Pinot Noir Merlot Grenache Cabernet Franc Granite X X Chalk X Limestone X X X Marl X Loam X X Gravel X X X X Clay X Sandy Slate The Neirynck soil matrix matches grape variety to soil type.