Amen, Tom. You dropped mention of TerraVox on Twitter shortly before this Substack entry was released, and I immediately bookmarked them. I need to buy literally one of everything they make, maybe curate an even dozen/case to start. I love discovering new varietals and the idea that wine from native grapes isn't as good as vinis vinifera style European grapes has (as you mention) long been an issue of history, expectations, and of course cultivating the grapes for long enough periods of time, as well as mastering the exact winemaking techniques that serve any given varietal.
European wine, even in its modern make, has been around for an epically long time. And even then, has suffered through eras where certain regions struggled and produced subpar product. To expect varietals we're only just now getting back into cultivating, and/or hybrids, to shoot out the gate with the same finesse and balance, and then to write them off when they don't, is incredibly short sighted, imo.
It's like certain blending varietals, that have only been allowed to stand on their own in recent history - Petite Sirah and Verdot, Cinsault, etc. Many claim they don't make wine that's as nearly as good as the traditional Cab Sauv and Franc, Syrah, etc. But that takes time - it literally HAS to take time; for the vines to grow old enough; for winemakers to master the expression of each varietal within each terroir. It amazes me that we accept the grand history of winemaking with vinis vinifera go-to's, and yet display little patience to allow any others to find their way forward (this is an argument I've had a few times with Elizabeth over at WFNP, who constantly pooh poohs both hybrids and my beloved Petite Sirah :P)
What a fun article! I have to say I have never heard of a single one of these grapes and I've been studying, selling and consuming for fourty years.
NatGeo just had a cool article on the resurrection of the Mission Grape in Mexico as a way to deal with climate induced changes.
https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2023/01/these-ancient-grapes-may-be-the-future-of-wine -
Great article, Tom. Just one observation: Any short list of Munson varieties at TerraVox should include the red superstar Lenoir.
Amen, Tom. You dropped mention of TerraVox on Twitter shortly before this Substack entry was released, and I immediately bookmarked them. I need to buy literally one of everything they make, maybe curate an even dozen/case to start. I love discovering new varietals and the idea that wine from native grapes isn't as good as vinis vinifera style European grapes has (as you mention) long been an issue of history, expectations, and of course cultivating the grapes for long enough periods of time, as well as mastering the exact winemaking techniques that serve any given varietal.
European wine, even in its modern make, has been around for an epically long time. And even then, has suffered through eras where certain regions struggled and produced subpar product. To expect varietals we're only just now getting back into cultivating, and/or hybrids, to shoot out the gate with the same finesse and balance, and then to write them off when they don't, is incredibly short sighted, imo.
It's like certain blending varietals, that have only been allowed to stand on their own in recent history - Petite Sirah and Verdot, Cinsault, etc. Many claim they don't make wine that's as nearly as good as the traditional Cab Sauv and Franc, Syrah, etc. But that takes time - it literally HAS to take time; for the vines to grow old enough; for winemakers to master the expression of each varietal within each terroir. It amazes me that we accept the grand history of winemaking with vinis vinifera go-to's, and yet display little patience to allow any others to find their way forward (this is an argument I've had a few times with Elizabeth over at WFNP, who constantly pooh poohs both hybrids and my beloved Petite Sirah :P)