Terroir 2012 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 International Terroir Conferences 9 Terroir 2012 9 Ancient and recent construction of Terroirs 9 Everything else, it’s work ”Socio-cultural dimensions of terroir among Bordeaux winemakers

Everything else, it’s work ”Socio-cultural dimensions of terroir among Bordeaux winemakers

Abstract

In 2010, the OIV adopted a resolution that defines ‘terroir’. The OIV definition understands terroir as the result of the interactions between the physical specificities of a space and human labor, with an emphasis on the subsequently produced collective knowledge (OIV-VITI 333-2010); by doing so, it alludes to the social and cultural dimensions of terroir. On the basis of ethnographic fieldwork with winemakers in France and the United-States, our paper discusses some of these socio-cultural dimensions by focusing on specific vitivinicultural practices (pre- and post-harvest, such as irrigation, the use of fertilizers, fermentation, filtration, etc) and on the ways in which they intersect with winemakers’ conceptions and beliefs related to the space in which they work, to their profession, and to the good they produce, i.e. wine. This focus on meaningful practices, i.e. on the social and cultural dimensions of vitivinicultural practices, will help us understand the different dimensions of terroir, informed not only by science and technique, but also by the various (and often mixed) ways in which winemakers conceive of their professional activity.

Publication date: September 21, 2023

Issue: Terroir 2012

Type: Article

Authors

Sarah DAYNES1,*, Terry WILLIAMS2

1 University of North Carolina Greensboro
2 New School for Social Research, New York

Contact the author

Keywords

Vitivinicultural practices, Bordeaux, Sociology

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir | Terroir 2012

Citation

Related articles…

Freeze-thaw treatment to enhance phenolic ripening and tannin oxidation of seeds

Phenolic ripening represents a major interest for quality wine producers. Nevertheless, climatic or genotypical limitations can often prevent optimal maturation process. During winemaking seeds can be easily separated and technologically processed to improve their quality.

Lamp – a modern tool for the detection of fungal infections in the vineyard

AIM: Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) [1] is a modern technology for fast and sensitive amplification of specific DNA sequences under isothermal conditions. Its simple handling and no need for dedicated equipment together with an evaluation of the amplification event by in-tube detection make this method advantageous and economically affordable for on-site investigations in the industry.

Fruit set rate clonal variation explains yield differences at harvest in Malbec

Malbec is Argentina’s flagship variety, and it is internationally recognized for producing high-quality red wines. Fruit set rate is a major component in grapevine yield determination, and it is the outcome of multiple genetic and environmental interacting variables. Here, we characterized the reproductive performance of 25 Malbec clones grown under homogeneous conditions in a 23-years old experimental plot. We measured traits near flowering (like the number of flowers per inflorescence) and at harvest (including the number of berries per cluster and berry weight), during two consecutive seasons (2022 and 2023).

Developmental stage-specific effects of high temperature on aroma accumulation in ‘Marselan’ grapes from the Helan Mountain region

The aroma of wine grapes is influenced by a complex metabolic network, with terroir factors, especially high temperatures, playing a critical role during berry development.

Influence of Partial Rootzone Drying on grape and wine anthocyanin composition

The effect of Partial Rootzone Drying (PRD) on fruit and wine composition has been investigated. At harvest, total anthocyanin and phenolic concentration of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon fruit was either unaltered or increased by PRD relative to control irrigation over two seasons. Where there was an increase in anthocyanin concentration