Will smoke ever become part of a region's terroir?

[Ian_S]

This is absolutely fabulous! This could set precedent for calling epidemics like the Black Plague “part of the European terroir of the mid-1300’s”.

[Wes_Barton]

Teutonic seems to have embraced it, with a series of smoke tainted “Rauchweins”.

https://teutonicwines.com/wineshop/2018-rauchwein-white-merlot/

Aecht! Gott in Himmel!

[mmarcellus]

There are those who say that smoke has been part of the terroir in South Africa for years.

I know that pinotage is allegedly naturally smoky, without any help from the atmosphere, but I’ve tried some that made me wonder.

[Ron_Slye]

I agree with Tim. One could talk about phylloxera and frost as part of terroir as well. The question then is whether it creates a pleasant wine or not. If it does, then we will probably talk about it as part of the terroir. My guess is it won’t, and therefore we won’t.

Perhaps but, for argument’s sake, phylloxera and frost don’t directly affect a wine’s flavor or aroma like smoke potentially does. If there’s a certain degree of smoke each vintage…maybe? I obviously do get your point, but I’m feeling frisky.

I don’t know enough about phylloxera, but frost (or really below freezing temps) – that is what results in ice wine for example – or adding stress to vines that may lead to better or worse flavors, etc. I think the issue is whether it will be relatively regular or not. If it is, then yes of course it would be part of the terroir – just as hurricane winds would be. Or to be a bit more subtle, high winds on a high altitude site that stress the vines even more than usual. I think the more interesting question is whether it will be a positive element of terroir. I mean, Desert Valley has a terroir that is not conducive to growing much of anything. My sense is that smoke may not be good. Having said that, one of the observations of having lived through smoke for small parts of a few summers is that it lowers the overall temperature by blocking the sun. I could see that having a beneficial effect in some wine growing areas. But not sure if the smoke part counter acts that.

[Brandon_R]

Good points, Ron. I too anticipate, regardless of whether it’s considered terroir or not, that it would be seen (and tasted) as a negative or flaw in a wine.