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…

Evaluation of the sensory profile of doc douro red wines through sensory traditional single-point techniques and temporal dominance methods

No other agricultural product has a stronger relationship with the soil than wine. This study aimed to characterize the sensory profile of red wines from the Douro Demarcated Region (RDD) certified as DOC Douro, through the application of Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA®) and Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) sensory methods. QDA® provides a complete word description for all a product’s sensory properties. The TDS, which is relatively recent in the sensory field [1], allows to evaluation and description of the evolution of the dominant sensory perceptions during the tasting of a food product.Eighteen commercial wines from different producers were evaluated, six different samples representing each of the three sub-regions of the RDD.

100 ans d’évolution des règles relatives à l’encépagement des AOC viticoles françaises : quelles perspectives face aux enjeux contemporains

To characterize a wine, the most frequently used criteria describe its color, its origin, the grape varieties from which they come, or even for white wines its residual sugar content (dry, semi-dry, sweet). In france, the system of appellations of origin set up in 1919 was initially based solely on the notoriety and origin of the wines. But given the unfavorable consequences that this lack of details generated, the public authorities quickly integrated in 1927 into the “capus” law criteria for access to designations of origin, relating to the specific characteristics of the soils of the vineyards and the grape varieties used, in particular exclusion of interspecific hybrid varieties. In 1935 the creation of the aoc system confirmed the interest in precisely defining all the production conditions that must be implemented to be able to claim the benefit of an aoc, and grape varieties were an essential condition for acquisition.

Rootstock mediated responses of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) metabolism and physiology to combined water deficit and salinity stress in Syrah grafts

Water deficit and salinity are increasingly affecting the viticulture and wine industry. These two stresses are intimately related; understanding the physiological and metabolic responses of grapevines to water deficit, salinity and combined stress is critical for developing strategies to mitigate the nega- tive impacts of these stresses on wine grape production. These strategies can include selecting more tolerant grapevine cultivars and graft combinations, improving irrigation management, and using soil amendments to reduce the effects of salinity. For this purpose, understanding the response of grape- vine metabolism to altered water balance and salinity is of pivotal importance.

Neural networks and ft-ir spectroscopy for the discrimination of single varietal and blended wines. A preliminary study.

Blending wines from different grape varieties is often used in order to increase wine complexity and balance. Due to their popularity, several types of blends such as the Bordeaux blend, are protected by PDO legislation.

High-altitude vineyards under extreme conditions in the PIWI context of cultivation: economic and marketing evidence from an exploratory study in Northern Italy

Viticulture has spread to unexpected locations, such as high-altitude terrain. Among these, high-altitude viticulture has captured considerable attention, not only for the uniqueness of its products and landscapes but also because it offers an effective response to climate changes
The aim of this study is to analyse and compare wineries that used Piwi varieties (acronym for the German Pilzwiderstandfähig, i.e., cryptogame-resistant) at high altitudes (between 500 and 920 m a.s.l.) with the traditional non-mountainous viticulture model.