Wine and Soils

I can remember attending a talk by a geologist some years ago now which concerned the geology of wine growing – and how soil and geology affected the flavours in the grapes. It was a fascinating talk and we all got to taste a glass of wine – which didn't actually prove anything either way. At https://phys.org/print449227859.html … apparently Bloomberg has got hold of this idea and popularised the geology of wine – and various media wine writers are in on it as it adds a different dimension to the hype and mystique they can create around different wines (and their flavours). However, an article written originally in The Conversation, by a wine writer (and the author of a new book) has thrown some cold water at the media hype. He claims rocks are not as important as some writers have claimed them to be – which is probably true as over emphasis has somewhat spoiled the real geological aspect – which is minimal. He says the soil in vineyards is regularly fertilised and irrigated (as well as obliterated by cultivation itself). Having said that an alkaline soil is required for growing champagne grapes (and chalk is usually the favoured soil). The problem is the search for complex flavours and their imagination.