Terroir and blends

Could you please expand on that? Provide support? Define seam?

JB

Two tectonic plates walked into a bar. They got smashed.

Steve are you thinking about Avalonia?

By seam[1] I mean the same level of limestone as it was deposited. After deposition, the seam distorted. It now dips under the English Channel, and it breaks through to the surface in Champagne and Southern England to form the South Downs. It will not be identical rock, as it is obviously in 2 different places, but it was laid down at the same time and by more or less the same process.

As for support, you will find quite a few references to it being (nearly) the same rock on the Web. I recently saw a section diagram showing the limestone layer as I described it above, but unfortunately I cannot remember where. I must admit I have not examined the geological basis for the claim, but I see no reason to doubt it.

I know "seam" is used for coal, but maybe I misused it in applying to limestone.

After a quick Wikipedia check on Avalonia I don't think so, Mike.

Er, sorry. I meant chalk of course, not limestone. And the geological term for my "dip" is syncline. And "seam" is stratum, or layer. That's what comes from posting as soon as you wake up!

No problem, it's not your fault, or so it seams :-)

No problem, Steve. You're better off than posting when you're asleep :P

Mark Lipton

Actually, it is pretty close to being uniform. Graham

When you say, "Here, different varieties ......" Where is "here"? Thanks, Dee Dee

I think it's important to remember that "terroir" is more than soil. It's the entire enviorment of the vineyard including the aspect of the vines in relation to the sun, the drainage and humidity, the relative temperatures of the air and the soil throughout the months, weeks, days, hours, etc.

Thanks, Bill. Yes, I do realize that. I appreciate your posting. Dee Dee

It is not common these days.

I recently heard that they still exist in Portugal - for the many varieties that go into Port for example, and table wines now.

In Alscace, Marcel Deiss is well-known for keeping the idea alive as a positive thing.

I haven't read it myself yet, but this article may be of interest:

There has always been "Gemischter Satz" (= field blend) in Vienna, which very recently has grown extremely popular and has even been recognized as a "Presidio" product by Slow Food. (Not that I'd know what a "presidio product" might be, but everybody seems to be quite proud about it.)

M.