for curious, open-minded wine lovers
 |
 |
Vineyard Environment: is it all about ‘terroir’ or can it be controlled?
Wine and fashion feel the crunch
2009 Vintage Report
By Stefanos Koundouras
Viticultural Environment describes the abiotic factors of a given site interacting with grapevine and affecting its growth and development. Man had long recognized the importance of the natural habitat in which the vine grows for the sensory attributes of the wine, and described it by the notion of ‘terroir’. Seguin (1988) defined terroir as an interactive ecosystem in a given place, including soil, climate and the vine. The concept of terroir has been so highly regarded among wine producers and connoisseurs that led to the establishment of a system of appellations of origin for the most prestigious wine-producing areas, responsible for the hierarchy in selling prices. In today’s market, “terroir’ wines are often distinguished as being closer to the vineyard conditions and grape cultivar and less affected by winery processing.
So, are all the great wines the result of a perfectly balanced terroir or is it possible to manage and control the environment in which grapes are produced according to our objectives?
9.02.2011
Wine and fashion feel the crunch
By Aphrodite Panagiotalides
When Nico Manessis and I first talked about this article, I had it all laid out in my mind. I was to unite the two loves of my life, wine and fashion (my little lovie Urania is beyond compare), and talk about parallel lives, about fashion and wine as powerful partners in contemporary lifestyles and expressions of conspicuous consumption.
However, the economic crisis has since forced us to tighten our belts even more and I felt compelled to factor this into the equation. What are our ‘Responses to the Recession’? How do companies cope in the current economic crisis? Are tight-spending consumers now in charge or can companies still drive buying behaviour? Will the market polarise into a world of ultra-luxury products for the “haves” and super-inexpensive ones for the “have-nots”? How can we attempt to answer these questions, when entire economies collapse around us like dominoes?
18.05.2010
2009 Vintage Report
By Nico Manessis
There are glowing reports, on Alsace and Bordeaux. In Greece, it was a difficult vintage. Technicians are still scratching their heads. With no doubt, this year has thrown up formidable challenges in vineyard management. There were fewer regional patterns of uniformity. Suddenly, the already fragmented vineyard has become one of baffling changes. During my month-long autumn tour, a common thread emerged: ‘Sudden (weather) changes.’ In many ways, a strange year, with unusual weather upheaval. More than in any previous year, there was a larger period of cloud cover, which helped the aromatic varieties. North-western Greece was mildew-ridden, eventually ending with rotten grapes. Yet, for some pockets, especially on islands specialising in white wines, straight-talking producers said ‘unusual but good’. Broadly speaking, the year championed the most diligent farmers. Greediness, in red grapes especially, was punished. Those risk-takers triumphed who waited long enough to get ripe pips and the pH’s in ‘windows’ where it made sense to pick.
11.01.2010
Related categories
New contribution by Nico now available in Greece at News Stand - Eleftheroudakis, Papasotiriou, Public, Fnac and selected International Bookshops
New contribution by Nico now available in Greece at News Stand - Eleftheroudakis, Papasotiriou, Public, Fnac and selected International Bookshops