| A Grape Wine AVA is that a WHO or What? (American Viticultural Area) | | | | By: James Bogaty | << back  Page 2 of 3 next >> |
For the French, it is terroir that gives value to a particular locality, setting it off from every other place and implying that a unique quality exists in that specific spot that cannot be reproduced anywhere else. Terroir is, in effect, the taste of the place.
Though the term can be applied to any agricultural product of the soil, the concept of terroir is recognized outside of France mostly in terms of wine--and what's more, for its implication of quality.
In fact, the full meaning of terroir takes on considerably more than the soil of a specific place. In terms of wine vines, terroir encompasses nothing short of the vine's total environment--and the way in which all aspects of the environment are consistently reflected in the taste of the wine. A wine from this place should taste unlike a wine from that place and we should expect this distinctiveness to be evident year in and year out.
Shenandoah Valley AVA, chiefly in Virginia and the valley is about 150 miles long and 25 miles wide, extending southwest from Harpers Ferry, W.Va., and lying between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. It is drained by the Shenandoah River. The route of the famous 19th-century Valley Turnpike (now an interstate highway) was used earlier by Native Americans and later became a main artery for westward expansion. The Shenandoah Valley was the scene of military operations throughout the American Civil War. Today its many parks, limestone caverns, and scenic drives are tourist attractions. In 2005 the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley opened in Winchester, Va.
Geologically, the Shenandoah Valley reaches as far as Roanoke; however, is not in the Shenandoah River basin, which reaches somewhat south of Staunton at the head waters of the James River. From north to south, the Shenandoah Valley encompasses two counties in West Virginia: Berkeley County and Jefferson County; and seven counties in Virginia: Frederick County, Clarke County, Warren County, Shenandoah County, Page County, Rockingham County, and Augusta County.
The Best Virginia wine and terrior has parallels to France’s Loire Valley
The Valley of the Loire, in the Centre West of France, is often considered as the most beautiful French wine region. The region is wide and follows the river, starting in the Auvergne and Massif Central and finishing in the Atlantic coast around Nantes city.
The Loire River is wide and deep. The landscape is quiet and undulated.
It is probably more accurate to say that the Loire Valley is made of several different regions which have one thing in common: the river. This is all very similar to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.
Wine making in the Loire Valley
The wines reflect the mood of the landscape. They are soft, pleasant, charming and light. About three quart of the production is white wines. The main grapes are Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon for white wine and Cabernet Franc for red wine.
Shenandoah Valley (VA) (AVA):
The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia startles the state borders of Virginia and West Virginia, with most of the appellation resting within Virginia. The AVA rests between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny ranges, which creates moderate summers and cold winters that see an abundance of snow, with many a grape vine suffering the icy fingers of death over amid January's state of drear. Wineries are still experimenting with grape varieties, and the long preferred Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc are meeting their match with native and hybrid varietals like Seyval Blanc and Chambourcin.
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