Part of it being that 1)there was historically a better market for corn and 2)the US agricultural policy is so far in favor of planting corn that very little else can compete.

I don’t want to get in to any arguments here but let’s say you planted cab in Kansas. Divide you plot into four sections. Pick half of the grapes a week or two or three before the other half. With each half, divide in half again. Long cold maceration for one half, shorter and warmer for the other. Ferment, barrel, and bottle. Which of the four very different wines will show the terroir? And if you did that in St Emillion, with the same clones, and picking at the same degree of ripeness, would any of the four wines match up to any of the four in St Emillion? If not, having taken out the other variables, they are different because of the terroir. Of course, this is really simplistic - a slight rise or depression can make a lot of difference and while St Emillion is big, Kansas is vast, so you’d have to find roughly comparable sites.

Incidentally, Schmitges, in Germany, does that with his plot - i.e. picks one half early, one half late, ferments half of each totally dry and off dry and produces four completely different wines as a result, from the exact same grape and the same spot. As to which of his wines shows the terroir, I would say all of them do.

So broadly speaking, terroir can be defined as the sum of all influences on a site - soil, weather, climate, vintage, slope, etc. That can be attenuated by the hand of man - vine orientation, spacing, density, trellising. All of these things will influence the grape. But terroir can be further attenuated by the choices one takes with the winemaking - picking date, ripeness levels, fermentation techniques, etc. And in the end, that might trump everything.

Personally I think there are many many many places on earth that could produce great wine and that simply haven’t been explored. Idaho for example, is rocky, has cold nights, has a few warm regions, and how many people have looked around for great grape growing regions there? China has plenty of space and it’s unlikely that it has nowhere to produce good and even great wine.

And not to take issue with Greg, who I actually respect, but I’d go further than he did regarding the wine mafia. There is absolutely no moral value associated with your wine preferences, any more than with your color preferences. And what is the benefit in being dogmatic? Personally, I’m happy to drink organic wines from the Loire and Beaujolais AND big Barossa Shiraz. This weekend will try some Cult California Cabs and I’m putting together a tasting of Sangiovese for the next week. Too few people allow themselves to actually enjoy everything.

Thanks you very much. Of course I believe it exists as well. I just don’t think it’s that important to many people and their preferences and levels of interest in wine should be repsected.

Germany has some of the greatest terroir driven wines, Riesling in particular on earth! I am particularly partial to the raw, tenacious wines of the Saar myself.

Greg T -Where and when is the Sangio tasting?!?!?

I have some lying around that deserves to be drunk.

I appreciate the kind words Greg. We’ve shared many and I believe we are frequently on the same page. Come to Snooth tomorrow for some Beaujolais and and argument or two!

It had been an apple orchard, and a successful one at that, for more than a hundred years. Moreover, the vineyard’s owner (John Higgs) is the type that will charm you with his soft-spoken, southern accent- before you realize he’s got a Masters and a green thumb- growing up on the farm himself.

He’s planting a Riesling this year as well… though I hope he plants some of that Seyval Blanc that’s worked so well for the Crosskeys folks down the road.

When all of the elements come together, and you have the right guy steering the ship, I think the quiet southern gentleman Mr. Higgs may be onto something in the Shenandoah Valley- on the OTHER side of that mountain there ;).

I’m wondering if all those apples can find their way back someday ;).
!http://www.barrenridgevineyards.com/Gallery/BRV-Pergola2-Square.jpg!