Customer Reviews

The Winemaker's Dance: Exploring Terroir in the Napa Valley

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful book for someone interested in an understanding of the complexities and nuances of creating good wine. After reading it I have a deep appreciation for the forces brought together by the winemaker. The Napa Valley and what it produces are certainly uniquely American treasures.

The authors begin by explaining the winemaker's dance as "an engagement with land, vine, and human understanding that is fundamental to understanding the relationship of terroir and wine". What follows delves into each aspect of the dance in exquisite and enjoyable detail.

Initially I thought I'd be overwhelmed by the scientific details of the geological formation of the Napa Valley, however, the combination of wonderful graphics, diagrams, maps and descriptions resulted in not only an understanding of Napa, but a greater understanding of geology in general. The authors move us through a history of the forces that created the major structures of the valley up to the resultant influences on soil and the particular issues that concern winemakers. Despite being geologists, the authors have a keen respect for the limitations of scientific information and are quick to point out the limitations and resultant assumptions.

Understanding more of the geologic history of the Valley allows one to understand the importance of site selection by the grape growers and winemakers. Rock, soil, sun, wind direction and temperature as well as other details of place and earth are critical in deciding what and where to plant.

The second half of the book brings into focus the amazingly complex work of growing excellent grapes and then harvesting and handling them to produce excellent wine. For me it suggests that the best winemakers need a fusion of both masculine/feminine, linear/intuitive capacities. One could know everything about the science of winemaking and fail without having a feel for timing, smell and taste. No wonder some of Napa's best winemakers are women.

The book contains some tasty bonuses including two tours of the Napa Valley and it's wineries, and quick-read boxes explaining such things as the tannin effect. For readers who love well-produced books, the quality of paper, color and print style make this one a treat to touch and see. The authors' writing style is also quite enjoyable with freguent use of surprising similes and metaphors.

Finally, a major benefit to me as a novice wine taster is the message to trust my own taste rather than relying on the "experts". And, to find a good wine store with knowledgeable staff to help you through the process of exploration.

Terroir, as most wine buffs know, is the elusive argument that advocates of French wine use to argue that their favorite beverage is superior to the wine produced in other countries. It is an unmeasurable quality: a combination of soil, climate, character, history, and tradition that enthusiastic tasters say they can recognize in the wine. It is why a specific wine tastes the way it does and not the way one produced a few hundred yards away tastes.

Though Napa Valley is certainly a newcomer compared to the oldest wine-growing areas in France, Italy, and Germany, Napa certainly does have history, and certain patches of it are celebrated for producing wines that have enough sophistication and depth to stand up to any other wines in the world.

But to what extent does that mean California wines have a quality like terroir?

It's an interesting question and one that deserves a book that includes a thorough and lively treatment. The Winemakers Dance, unfortunately, is not that book -- although not for a lack of trying.

Passionate authors Jonathan Swinchatt and David Howell are geologists by trade, and it shows by the way they attempt to argue for terroir in Napa from the ground up -- including scores of geological maps and aerial views of the valley floor and nearby mountains. The authors discuss many of the key players and vineyards in the region in great detail.

The problem is that despite the authors' attempt to create something accessible to and compelling for the general public, the books falls far short of that, remaining for the most part an academic treatise. Amazon's description of the book got it right: "exhaustive and ... exhausting." I am a bit of a wine buff myself, with a mid-sized and growing collection of wine books, but this was tough to get through, and a third of the way through I gave up trying to read it cover to cover and instead settled on a strategy of picking through the tests for parts that captured my attention.

Am I disappointed I bought it? No, not too much, despite my complaints, The Winemakers Dance taught me a great deal about the relationship between the winemaker and the land in Napa Valley. But it's back on my shelf now, and, unfortunately, I think it'll probably stay there.

A thorough and valiant attempt at trying to define "terroir" in one of the world's great winegrape growing regions.

I liked the book a lot more than I thought I would--it starts with the soils and geologic makeup, goes into climate, viticulture, and then tries to bundle it with how the grape growers and winemakers coax great fruit out of all of it.

Fabulous maps and graphics. Worth the price for this alone.

Terroir is a very difficult topic to get ones head around and I really appreciate the authors' work. A lot closer than you get from talking to grape growers and wine makers. (I have been an amateur winemaker for over 10 years, so I really appreciated the clarity of their approach.)

yes, this book can not tell you everything about the wine, but at least, this book does provide a basic knowledge of relationship between terroir and the character of wine. If readers who are really interested in wine and terroir, you might buy another book called" Terroir, The Role Geology, Climate, and Culture in the Making of French Wine." by James E. Wilson.

These "scientists" had the support of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, who apparently didn't tell them that theories without solid data to back them up are essentially worthless. They wasted a lot of time on this book - don't you do the same.

Anyone who enjoys wine and/or Napa Valley will enjoy this book. Great pictures, great explanations and great geology. They even let the winemakers pontificate abit. I really enjoyed it.

I have a farm near Napa county and was interested in assessing the suitablity of the farm for growing wine grapes. This book has a lot of
interesting information in it. It is especially suitable for someone interested in agriculture who will be visiting Napa county - there are
probably far more people in that category than there are people
interested in growing wine grapes.

For my purposes I would have liked to see a summary table or listing of wineries, wine price, type(s) of grapes grown, soil conditions, soil water retention, elevation, slope, sunlight orientation, and perhaps native vegetation on the soil. It was a bit hard to get this information since it was scattered throughout the book and there were usually just a few factors mentionned when specific wineries were discussed.

I came across this title on a search for D. Howell's work, and then found a cheap copy on eBay. I'm fortunate to live down the street from River Run Winery (check him out on the web)in the eastern Pajaro Valley, and have always wondered about the influence of San Benito County soils and geolgy where the RR winemaker gets his grapes. This Napa valley primer is an excellent intro on the topic and will get the 'geo-juices' flowing for research in my own backyard. See also SOILS FOR FINE WINES by White.
The problem of ground water over-draft was skirted in this book. Any talk of sustainability in CA's wine country --as one finds in the final chapter of this title --will have to be honest about this issue, regardless of drip irrigation, or the perfect grape. I'd like these authors to cover what impacts on geohydrology the wine industry has had in the Napa valley in a revised edition. And perhaps the impact of global climate change on Napa's GW and its vineyards.