Where the Wind Blows: The Doctor, The Master and The Witch

The more you learn about wine the more you begin to understand how the forces of nature shape what’s in your glass.

The grapevine needs certain natural ingredients in order to produce the fruit that will be fermented into wine. Sunshine, heat, rain, nutrients from the soil, wind… er, sorry, wind? Yes, that’s right, wind! Of less importance generally but a deal breaker in ensuring quality grapes in some wine regions.

South Africa makes world-class wines these days, but without that chilly Cape Doctor wind cooling down the coastal regions it would be much harder to produce the quality grapes required. Then there’s the Mistral howling down the Rhone valley for two thirds of the year at 70mph. It’s said that Chateauneuf-du-Pape wouldn’t be Chateauneuf-du-Pape without the Mistral. It’s part of the terroir. It dries out the air and clears away nasty vineyard pests and keeps the frosts at bay and aerates the soil. Argentina’s wild, whistling Zonda is known as the Witches’ wind. It helps bring snow in the winter months which melts in the summer to provide water for the vineyards and cools down the grapes at night in the heat of the summer.

And there are many more examples where our invisible friend lends a helping hand in the vineyard. Join me on Thursday 1 July for a fascinating walk on the wild and decidedly windy side. I’ve chosen eight wines from eight windy wine regions that’ll blow you away!

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