Vine times

摘要

The battle between those who think character comes from nature and those who think nurture is the key is not confined to students of humanity. It lies at the heart of winemaking, too. For European growers, the variety of grape is important, of course. No one would mistake cabernet sauvignon for sangiovese or riesling for chardonnay. But grape varieties are normally propagated as cuttings; in other words, clones. What creates a wine's character, they argue, is the terrotr-that mysterious combination of soil and microclimate that gives appellations controlees their cachet. In other words, the essence of a wine lies in its nurture.