Just finished a crazy tasting of top Canadian microbrews. Top ones, http://t.co/WNT2JZjO, http://t.co/mgSu7ADf, http://t.co/yiK7BC2H
| 21 January 2011
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Putting Down Roots
In the corporate world it’s referred to as “exercising your core competencies.” In plain English it’s called, “doing what you do best.” In plain Latin it might be “esto quod es.” In any case, it’s also about discovering what you can really do well. Now, most of us don’t exactly pop out of the womb instilled with the innate desire to become a neurosurgeon. We have to follow an often twisty road, visiting numerous interesting, enjoyable and sometimes downright unpleasant places before we decide where we ought to put down roots.
However, once a person decides to become a winemaker, new paths present themselves. While a doctor may decide to become a specialist rather than a GP, a winemaker might ultimately focus on a specific style or grape variety, often after crafting a range of products that span the vinous gamut. Sometimes the process works in reverse, as in the case of Bonny Doon Vineyards’ Randall Grahm who set out to create the ultimate California Pinot Noir, only to realize that his nature, and what mother nature had to o!er, were incompatible with this dream. Admittedly, it’s probably easier for Old World winemakers to find their niche. If you decide to make wine in Bordeaux, you don’t really have to worry too much about what grapes you are going to harvest and the type of wine you are going to make. History, tradition and the law to a large extent dictate your direction. In the New World it’s a bit trickier (or a lot freer, depending on your personal level of optimism). Winemakers in Ontario, for example, are still trying to figure out which grapes are best suited to the region’s marginal climate, and which style of wine will ultimately become synonymous with, say, Niagara. And this is some 50 years after the first commercial vinifera wines were created. While a few wineries made early decisions as to what they would aim to excel at (Le Clos Jordanne’s focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay exclusively comes to mind), others are still on that journey to find out what it is they do best.2011 will no doubt prove to be a landmark year for Tidings, replete with challenges and victories. However, we will continue to do what we do best; bring you interesting and informative wine and food news in an entertaining and easy-to-understand format. And, as always, we invite you to ride shotgun as we travel towards our 300th issue.