Out of the mist

Early last week, in the late afternoon, I saw fog roll in from the lake and embrace Wellington. And it made me reflect on how important these tiny water droplets can be to winegrowing.

We have all seen footage of the Golden GateBridge peeking above the ocean fog. Apart from providing excellent photo opportunities, this condensation plays a much more pivotal role in the wine industry of California. The sun’s heat creates a thermal uplift between the baked land and the surface of the cold North Pacific current (aka Californian current) running parallel to the coast. A cooling fog is consequently drawn onshore, providing respite from the heat—and a degree of moisture— to inland vineyards. It is a pattern repeated in many parts of the world.

In the southern hemisphere, these cold currents originate from the Antarctic circumpolar current, and are given a boost by the southern trade winds blowing west to east. Along the west coast of South America, the cold Peru and Humboldt currents ameliorate the growing conditions for the fruit and grape regions of Chile. The Benguela current of the south Atlantic cools the South African wine regions of Constantia, Stellenbosch and the CapeSouthCoast. The west Australian current allows the MargretRiver and Western Australia to produce exciting and highly sought-after wines. All these currents drive towards the equator and, when heated by the sun, return in a circular fashion to their point of origin.

This ongoing cycle is a constant reminder of the wonder of our planet, and why we must all do our part to preserve it for future generations.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
I recently tasted the 2013 release of Three Dog Winery Pinot Grigio ($19.95), developed by winemaker John Squair. This is a lovely wine, displaying a beautiful bouquet of delicately spiced watermelon and mandarin orange. The palate is caressed with honeydew and pink grapefruit. It is a well-balanced wine, suitable as a companion for a wide range of food.

Pinot Gris just happens to be one of John and Sacha’s original plantings, so a high percentage of its content is estate-grown fruit. Why not visit their recently-built tasting room at 1920 Fish Lake Road, east of Picton? This wine is only available there. It is well worth the trip.