Great article again, thank you Simon! I always start a visit in the vineyards if getting the opportunity, and as you say it gets the conversation going. I share your thoughts on “messy looking” vineyards as well, thankfully it seems like a variation in cover crops is getting more and more common. Or is it possibly that I now always tend only to visit wineries that encourage biodiversity in the vineyards to create wines with soul and complexity, not sure… Surprisingly often though, I still come across organic producers with monovarietal vineyards with single clones, rather than massal selelected from a number of different old vines. Any thoughts on this and resilience to a changing climate?
Interesting, I have never heard that it should be illegal, on what grounds? And can you provide some link to reading more about this? I hear all the time when I visit producers that they praise massale selection, but are sometimes forced to by new clonal material, when they replace larger sections due to time constraints. Visiting a fantastic organic producer in Montalcino recently I understood he also bought in most plant material from a nursery, so consequently having little clonal variation. I sensed, however, that he was not fully satisfied with this.
"Some of my favourite vineyards look more like wild gardens, with their own zen-like atmosphere." Nothing more ordered than a zen garden, so I'm not sure what a zen-like atmosphere means in this context.
'...peace, tranquility and reflection..' is not zen as I know it; zen is much more ascetic than that. The verdancy and fecundity of a natural vineyard does not conjure up zen to me, more the Garden of Eden, which gets one thinking, that's for sure!
And to add, I also really liked the view from Miguels winery at Quinta da Costa do Piñhao, couldn’t help but recognising the view in the photo. Great wines from spectacular vineyards 😊
I agree! Unstoppable energy it is. Thank you for this article.
Great article again, thank you Simon! I always start a visit in the vineyards if getting the opportunity, and as you say it gets the conversation going. I share your thoughts on “messy looking” vineyards as well, thankfully it seems like a variation in cover crops is getting more and more common. Or is it possibly that I now always tend only to visit wineries that encourage biodiversity in the vineyards to create wines with soul and complexity, not sure… Surprisingly often though, I still come across organic producers with monovarietal vineyards with single clones, rather than massal selelected from a number of different old vines. Any thoughts on this and resilience to a changing climate?
My thoughts are certainly that a lack of clonal diversity is setting yourself up for future disasters in terms of disease or pests.
But here too we are on tricky ground, as massale selection is theoretically illegal in the EU!
Interesting, I have never heard that it should be illegal, on what grounds? And can you provide some link to reading more about this? I hear all the time when I visit producers that they praise massale selection, but are sometimes forced to by new clonal material, when they replace larger sections due to time constraints. Visiting a fantastic organic producer in Montalcino recently I understood he also bought in most plant material from a nursery, so consequently having little clonal variation. I sensed, however, that he was not fully satisfied with this.
"Some of my favourite vineyards look more like wild gardens, with their own zen-like atmosphere." Nothing more ordered than a zen garden, so I'm not sure what a zen-like atmosphere means in this context.
I meant that they have an atmosphere of peace, tranquility and reflection.
I can see the confusion, but I didn't say zen garden.... Only zen!
'...peace, tranquility and reflection..' is not zen as I know it; zen is much more ascetic than that. The verdancy and fecundity of a natural vineyard does not conjure up zen to me, more the Garden of Eden, which gets one thinking, that's for sure!
And to add, I also really liked the view from Miguels winery at Quinta da Costa do Piñhao, couldn’t help but recognising the view in the photo. Great wines from spectacular vineyards 😊
Ha, well spotted indeed! And yes, Miguel's wines are awesome. As is his philosophy in the vineyards.