Wine, Geography of

An excellent way to comprehend a region's geography is to study its wine. Wine production is inextricably intertwined with the physical, cultural, and economic geography of a region; in essence, to drink a wine is to taste its geography. So widespread is the influence of wine in geography that a review of the geographical literature and an inspection of papers at professional meetings show that most subfields of geography are represented. Up-to-date references are available at the Association of American Geographers’ Wine Specialty Group Web site http://www.geographyofwine.org.

Wine has been a research topic in geography since the ancient Greek and Roman geographers. Historical geographers pinpoint the home of the wine grape, Vitis vinifera, as southwest Asia, and its diffusion and history have been documented in works by Sauer, Unwin, and McGovern. Vitis[Page 3116]vinifera is a remarkably adaptable plant with many subvarieties, each with a preferred environment, providing geographers with a fertile research opportunity.

Vineyards in the Chianti region of Tuscany Italy

Source: John Menard.

The geographical nature of wine can be appreciated by looking at wine labels. The most prominent identifier is the source region of the wine—for example, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Barolo, Rioja, Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Valpolicella. European wines are named by the geographic region of production and not by the grape variety. Most Americans recognize the name Champagne, but few know that their favorite bubbly can only be produced in one small region of France or that it is made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Munier, and/ or Chardonnay grapes. Over hundreds of years of experimentation, European winemakers have identified the best grapes in a particular region. The grape variety is not mentioned on the label; they just assume that one knows the contents by the geographical name. Red wine from Burgundy is made from Pinot Noir, Chianti from Sangiovese, and Barolo from Nebbiolo. New World wineries have little history and are still experimenting; therefore, the grape variety is prominently displayed.

The French belief that geography has a great impact on wine is epitomized by their use of the word terroir to define the sum total of all physical and cultural aspects that give a wine its characteristics. The concept of terroir dictates that geography gives wine a sense of place and that the wine is unique from wine produced elsewhere. Terroir is a powerful geographical concept because it synthesizes the spatial elements of the natural environment with the socioeconomic ones.

There are many variables influencing terroir or the geography of wine. Of prime importance are the physical variables, including climate, microclimate, air drainage, solar prospect, water drainage, geology, topography, altitude, and soil conditions. There are also socioeconomic factors, including grape-growing methods, wine-producing techniques, group pressure for a specific style, the local yeast influence, the type of wood used in barrels, and even how wine pairs with local food.

The sum total of all these factors is what makes a red Burgundy unique. The same Pinot Noir grape grown in California, New York, New Zealand, or Washington will produce a wine with a different style, aroma, and taste. Not only do [Page 3117]the French think that a Pinot Noir from Burgundy tastes different from one produced in California, but they also believe that wines produced from different parts of a vineyard will vary because of the microgeographical conditions.

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