Victoria’s Secret

Although the term terroir is tossed about in wine banter, it has far greater importance in our day-to-day lives. We generally associate terroir with wine laws throughout the world, such as the “appellation d’origine contrôlée” (AOC) in France, or the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) standard here in Ontario.

The word derives from the Latin “terre”, which encompasses much more than just “soil”. Terroir describes a group of characteristics resulting from geographical location, geology, physiology, and climate—and their influence on plants, crops and fruit. Tomatoes grown in Italy, for example will taste different than those grown in Ontario. Olive oil will vary in colour and flavour profiles depending on country of origin. P.E.I. potatoes are different from their Idaho cousins. And, best of all, a fresh-plucked, juicy lime from Mexico is completely different to what is shipped to Canada.

Not very long ago, produce availability depended on the season. Summer vegetables were canned. Tomatoes were harvested green, and then wrapped in newspaper to ripen slowly in the cold cellar. Winter vegetables were those that could be stored in root cellars. We did not have access to spring and summer vegetables every day of the year. And yet we now wonder why vegetables that are airfreighted from the southern hemisphere taste so different. These out-of-season crops are usually shipped green and will never taste as fresh and vibrant as vegetables in our local farm stands.

Terroir also has tremendous impact on crops such as tea, coffee, vanilla beans, cocoa beans and grains. We could even argue its importance on the vegetation eaten by animals, whose milk is used to produce cheese and other dairy products.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
Apart from loving the idyllic setting of their winery, I have always appreciated that the Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards and Estate Winery produce their wine from estate grown fruit. It was among the first vineyards to be planted in Prince Edward County by winemaker Caroline Granger. The tasting room of this beautiful, family-run winery is inside a restored historic barn, where an approachable, friendly and knowledgeable team takes you on a wine journey.

Now for the fun part: I recently enjoyed one of their earlier vintage Chardonnays, the 2007 Victoria Block, and, wow, is it ready to drink. This wine is made from a specific block of fruit that is aged in oak. The results are rich layers of caramel, Asian pear, and vanilla with a crisp citrus and mineral finish.

With its attention to detail and quality, the 2007 Victoria Block Chardonnay is a great value at $24.95 It is only available at the winery, at 990 Closson Road, in Hillier. It is open throughout the year, but calling ahead in Prince Edward County is highly recommended at this time of year.