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The concept of terroir and its influence are听enthusiastically听debated in the wine world. Very few of the beer geeks I asked cared one whit about terroir, and hadn鈥檛 even听given it a thought听before I asked.
After some debate, they decided that although it was an interesting philosophical question, terroir didn鈥檛 matter to their beer drinking experience or influence their beer purchases.
The casual beer drinker isn鈥檛 interested in the minutiae of which malts or hops are chosen for the beer,听let alone where they鈥檙e grown.听They just care that听the final product tastes good. So there you have it.听The beer world doesn鈥檛 care about terroir.
Enter Harley Smith听and Tracy McLean听of Longwood Brewing.听They听care.听They听care听a lot.
But before we get to why听they care, and why you might also,听allow me to drone on about听what听鈥渢erroir鈥澨齧eans.听Indulge me please, I听read听a LOT on the topic.
Terroir听is听the concept that states that where something听grows听affects its make-up听in听many ways,听most importantly听its flavour.听
Terroir听accounts for natural influences like soil and climate, often in very small areas of land, producing听different characteristics in crops.听If identical crops grown a couple of kilometres apart have measurable differences from each other, those differences听are attributed to terroir, and are believed to听affect听flavour. 听
The concept of terroir grew out of Burgundy, France, evolving听from a defining aspect of agricultural production into a marketing concept and economic protection mechanism.听
鈥淭erroir is about asserting and justifying differences at local and even micro levels and ultimately of acquiring social, economic and political benefits from such claims,鈥澨齛ccording to听Marion听Demossier听of the University of听Bath.
We can thank terroir for the听Appellation听d鈥橭rigine Contr么l茅e听(AOC)听in France and the American听Viticultural Areas听(AVA).听In a nutshell,听these two systems protect the names听of geographical regions from being used on products听from听outside those areas.
No calling that bubbly wine 鈥渃hampagne鈥澨齯nless those grapes were听grown in the Champagne region!
Terroir is meant to evoke a sense of place.听And some places just听produce听better tasting things, OK?
But do not mistake听terroir for the locavore movement.听Although related to farm-to-table, terroir does not听necessarily听celebrate听local听products.听It听is听concerned with听which听growing areas听produce the best crop, and听the听use of traditional methods to bring out that unique flavour in the finished product.听
The French know you get your wines from听specific听regions, your cheeses听from others听and your produce from yet others.听听There is none of the 100-kilometre diet in听terroir.听If the best crop听grows听600 km away, then that is the one that should be had.
From a marketing perspective, terroir is a golden concept.听Elevate听one area鈥檚 foodstuffs听above听the rest听and give people a story to go along with the听final听product,听and they鈥檙e听lining up to pay large sums for it.听
If you can convince the world of your superiority, tourists will flock to your听anointed lands听and spread the doctrine, multiplying your customer base听and driving up profits听as they go.
If you鈥檙e still with me after that long trip听through听terroir, you won鈥檛听be surprised that not much about it听makes me听eager to apply it to听my beloved听beer.听
But听wait!听I want beer to听claim听terroir!听Not least because then we can convince whoever becomes the agricultural minister that beer听has gravitas 鈥撎齮hat beer听is as important to the economy as wine.听Then听they鈥檒l change the ALR rules to allow Persephone
Brewing to keep their farm brewery, and joy will abound!
Hear ye! Hear ye!听I propose that,听just like the New World took Old World brewing traditions听and made them our own,听we take the Old World concept听of terroir and make it our own.听Let鈥檚 keep the sense of place,听the belief that where something is grown comes out in its flavour,听and听the desire to produce the best crop.听We鈥檒l听ditch the protectionism, the profiteering and the snobbery.
And this is where听Harley and Tracy听make their entrance. 听
Familiar with terroir from drinking wine, Harley and Tracy associate听the term with Longwood鈥檚 beer.听
鈥淚t seemed to aptly describe what we were doing, which is simply supporting our local farmers to create a community-driven beer,鈥� they told me.听Terroir听is important to them 鈥渂ecause it describes the regional flavour derived from years of working with the farm community to create a uniquely local beer.鈥�
As they point out, nothing tastes as good as that tomato you grew in your backyard/container garden. 听
鈥淚f you want to create a uniquely original flavour there is no substitute for controlling all your ingredients from start to finish.鈥澨齓es!听This is听how听terroir听matters!
One-hundred per cent听of听Longwood鈥檚听current听hop supply comes from within 20 km of the brewery, and听50 per cent听of their barley comes from central 麻豆传媒映画Island.听They rely on the local community to buy their beers and in turn they support their local growers.听Theirs is听a听reciprocal relationship from which we all benefit.听It鈥檚 the New World version of the farmhouse ale!
Longwood is听among many听BC craft听breweries that听brew with authenticity,听integrity听and strong commitment to the communities they serve.听The use of locally grown, organic, creative and foraged ingredients is becoming widespread as craft beer comes of age.听If that鈥檚 what terroir can mean, then damn, I鈥檓 glad it鈥檚 in my beer!
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