Today I am
writing from a new perspective: aerial. I am currently passing above Paris in
the airplane that will take me back to Portland, OR after three plus weeks of
fascinating research, countless metro rides and bottles- I mean glasses- of
wine. As I have several hours of travel ahead of me (and several behind me) I
figure that now is a good time to summarize what exactly I’ve been up to these
last few weeks.
En gros, I
have learned far more than I anticipated as a result of the interviews,
dégustations and cellar tours that I participated in. The proof of this was the
hour long conversation I held with the gentleman sitting next to me on the
plane. (Mind you, this hour happened before the plane even took off. It was
almost two hours late because of the transportation grève that is happening in
France this week. Grève translates as a “strike” in English. I
have heard it said that grève is the favorite sport of the
French, after futbol) Anyways, I digress- I was able to confidently and
accurately explain the differences between organic, biodynamic and other
variations of “natural” wines and what motivates our research. I felt like
quite the hot shot.
I think one
of the best quotes I can extract from our various interviews comes from
Catherine Montalbetti who says that “wine is a synonym for life.” The
longer we study wine, the more I realize what a vast field it is, one that
transcends the international gourmet trade market. It means so much more to the
people in the industry and begs questions regarding stewardship, ethics,
sustainability and bien sûr- pleasure.
While
organic, biodynamic, natural wines all consider the longevity of their soils
and the quality of their lands (i.e. the rejection of synthetic and chemical
fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides) and in some cases, the abstinence in the
cellar from practices like filtration, chaptalization, the addition of sulfites
and a slew of other additives, the taste of the final product remains
paramount.
Many people
that I talked to in France, some in the wine business and some who simply call
France their home and its wine a crucial part of its patrimony, feel most
comfortable with the idea of viticulture raisonnée, which simply
reflects an idea of moderation regarding the introduction of organic,
biodynamic or otherwise “natural” practices. Most would agree that it is
absolutely necessary to protect the soils that yield this highly revered
beverage, but not all agree on the esoteric practices of biodynamics, nor do
they all refute the addition of sulfites, nor do they all consider the
organic/biodynamic certification sufficient (or in other cases- necessary).
Clearly,
there is dissent among France’s wino population (pardon me for
applying such an Anglo expression to the French, the consumers of the most wine
per capita in the world). Mais justement, that’s what makes this research so
fascinating. What would our research serve if there was already a clear
consensus among vintners, vendors and consumers?
To make sense
of all we’ve learned, I am prepared for a summer under the cushion and felt of
a pair of university head phones, deep in the transcriptions of the dozens of
hours of interviews we’ve collected. But, this will be anything but redundant;
where else in Oregon would I hear the passionate echoes of Nicholas Joly or the
expert assertions of Catherine Montalbetti? En ecoutant I will get to relive my
truly exceptional experiences in Paris (et ailleurs) such as the afternoon
spent in a conference with Anger’s ESA food and wine studies professors or the
lunch spent at Quedubon where I learned about Lacan, L’Association du
Vin Naturel and how to de-bone a whole fish.
I will soon
be touching down on US soil. And no, it did not take me a whole 9 hours to
write an SGE post. I had to make a necessary pause to eat my airplane lunch,
which, since I am flying from France, includes wine. Alas, I had to take
advantage- in the name of research!! It is with a small amount of tristesse that
I leave my beloved France, yet, I embrace the work ahead and the close
proximity that I will be to the barrels of the Willamette Valley’s Pinot Noir
just waiting to be tasted, or as my colleague Andrew Reetz would say,
“dégusted”!
À bientôt!
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