Virtual Single Vineyard Exposé: Understanding Wine Through Soil

We constantly talk about terroir, a sense of place that encompasses the grape-growing environment, in regards to wine and winemaking, but what does that really mean and why is it important? Join Sommelier, Christophe Bakunas, in this virtual class as he uncovers how and why wine-growing geography, climate, elevation and soil truly effect the nuances in wine. Christophe will deep-dive into why one variety of grape that grows in volcanic soil taste totally different than that same variety gown in clay or silty soil. To gain a full understanding of how this impacts wine, we’ll compare and contrast wines of the same grape varietal from small, single vineyards vs. larger vineyards that blend various terroirs found in the same region. A side-by-side tasting will illuminate how regionality and soil play a huge role as we explore 6 wines (3 of which are from single vineyards) from 3 different regions during class.

Wines Featured in Class:

• Albarino, Bodegas Lagar de Besada, 2019, Galicia, Spain
• Albarino, Columna, 2020, Rias Baixas DO, Spain
• Malbec, Reunion, 2018, Mendoza Argentina
• Malbec, Zorzal Gran Terroir, 2019, Tupungato, Argentina
• Chianti Classico DOCG, Badia a Coltibuono, 2018 Tuscany, Italy
• Chianti Classico DOCG, 2018, Isole e Olena, Tuscany, Italy

For a true tasting experience, we recommend you procure bottles featuring the same region and grape. This includes:

• Single vineyard Albarino from Spain
• Albarino from Spain 
• Single vineyard Malbec from Argentina
• Malbec from Argentina
• Single vineyard Chianti Classico from Tuscany
• Chianti Classico from Tuscany

We also recommend you have on hand  the same snacks we’ll be serving in class for a full tasting experience; details about the food are included in the class packet.

*Grapes used to make a single-vineyard wine come from one vineyard. But that vineyard may not be owned by the winery who actually bottles the wine. This wine classification is based on the concept of terroir, which is the interaction between soil, climate and people. Single vineyard wines (most of which are also single-varietal wines) can be found at specialty realtors, and since the term single vineyard can often be confused with “estate” or “estate-bottled,” it’s best to ask your wine retailer if the wine is truly single vineyard. The counterparts from larger vineyards can be found at any grocery store. 

Learn more about Sommelier Christophe here.

Got questions about our virtual classes? Check out our FAQs.