Our JOURNAL

In Search of Flavor, Episode 20: What is Terroir, exactly?

Jun 24, 2021 | Craftsmanship, Culinary, Editorial, Podcasts, Travel, Wine

WORDS BY Liz Caskey

PHOTOGRAPHS BY Francisco Ramírez

  The finest wines offer clarity, distinctiveness, grace, balance, deliciousness, complexity, modesty, persistence, and sometimes even a little paradox. Today to kick off a new season, we dig into a theme that we discuss time and time again: terroir. Terroir is a term that is increasingly used in any ‘origin’ or craft product, so we […]

 

The finest wines offer clarity, distinctiveness, grace, balance, deliciousness, complexity, modesty, persistence, and sometimes even a little paradox.

Today to kick off a new season, we dig into a theme that we discuss time and time again: terroir.

Terroir is a term that is increasingly used in any ‘origin’ or craft product, so we feel a discussion of its meaning is important to avoid it being reduced to a one-size-fits-all definition.

In this episode, Liz first shares her take on terroir and a personal definition of how she envisions it. After, we have cued up a mash-up from a few of our favorite talks on terroir in Season 1. These short snippets sum up the concept quite beautifully. Enjoy!

In this episode:

• The definition of terroir and its limitations
• What products are considered terroir products and why
• How artisanality and quality are the backbone of terroir
• Why the human touch and families are also part of the equation
• What we all bring to the table in our terroir experience
• A mash-up of four of our favorite episodes from Season One that bring this point home

Resources:

Episode #1 with Santiago Achaval of Matervini Wine
Episode #2 with Jake Standerfer of Coffee Culture Roasters
Episode #13 with Guiliana Furci of Fungi Foundation
Episode #15with Mark Gerrits of Obolo Chocolate

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Searching for flavors; the honest
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Uruguay is South America’s best-kept secret. A nation of over three million maté lovers, meat-eaters, winegrowers, cheese makers, and artists, what makes Uruguay so irresistible is its low key vibe.

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