Column: more than earth

Karin Leeuwenhoek is a theologian, vinologist and communications scholar. She has ninety Italian olive trees, but mostly loves wine - and philosophising about it. See also her wine blog vinoblogie.co.uk. She writes a column in every issue of WINELIFE Magazine. - TEXT KARIN LEEUWENHOEK

At the end of 2023, I spoke at length with winemaking professor Kees van Leeuwen. This Bordeaux professor specialises in the relationship between wine and terroir, fascinated as he is by why wines that come from different places taste so different. Through his world-renowned research, it has become increasingly clear to him that climate, weather conditions such as temperature, wind and precipitation have a greater influence than the soil, the ground, land itself. Even though the term terroir suggest otherwise.

Kees explains that many people see terroir as something mysterious. As if a magical effect emanates from the soil and there is, simsalabim, hocuspocus, a one-to-one relationship between soil and flavour of the wine: 'Popular wine books suggest that you could taste the flavour of a particular rock contained in the soil, for example flint, directly in the wine. But that flint does not get from the soil into the glass. Nor does it work that you can taste certain minerals back in the wine because the vine has penetrated deeper with its roots into the soil.' So how does it work?

Briefly summarised: 'In soil, nitrogen appears to be the main influence, besides water management. But terroir includes not only soil but also climate; the weather conditions at that location, in that year. These appear to play an even bigger role for the taste of the wine than the soil. This is something that also really puzzled me during my studies and research. I am and always will be a romantic, especially as a wine lover. Flavour is something fascinating. Even if the composition of grapes and of a wine can be logically explained, why does one wine bring about that wow feeling and not another? That remains the big question.' The flavour of a particular location on earth, transmitted through grapes and the hands of a winemaker. The wow feeling. For a wine professor, too, the fascination with wine ultimately revolves around that.

You can read Karin's entire column in WINELIFE 87, order it here! Now without shipping costs!

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