Being from Vancouver, walking into Terroir in San Francisco’s airy and old wood-filled space wasn’t something I was used to seeing. A small wine tasting bar pouring 20ish different glasses from their daily revolving chalkboard of wines (they also serve some artisan charcuterie and a cheese selection), which includes a retail component where you can actually buy any of the wines you’ve enjoyed? You can also buy any bottle off the shelf (a selection around 700 wines) and drink it there for a little bit more of a markup. Why don’t we have any similar models in BC? Is it a licensing issue with our archaic liquor laws? Surely someone would have tried this concept before, but nevertheless I think more research will ensue on my part.

Looking back through the old wooden storefront on a sunny San Franciscan afternoon.

The main attribute that makes Terroir so special is that their focus is entirely on naturally farmed wines. The fruit must be dry and organically farmed with only indigenous yeast fermentation and no use of chemicals. Nothing, save from sulphur, can be added to the wine (no chaptalization) and even then they seek out wines with little to no added sulphur. Sitting at the bar in Terroir and trying 10+ wines from their French-heavy and almost entirely old world selection, it was amazing how beautifully pure and expressive the fruit was showing in each glass. This slow global move towards naturally farmed wines is something that really personally excites me and is something that is being spearheaded locally by Anthony Nicalo through Farmstead Wines.

Some of Terroir’s retail display.

As I was able to bring back a few of my favourite bottles, all of which were quite unique and none of which I have seen available in the BC market, I will post my tasting notes and encourage you to pick them up if you see them or have a glass if you make it to Terroir.

Monastero Trappiste Vitorchiano “Coenobium”, 2007 Lazio IGT

55% Trebbiano, 20% Malvasia, 15% Verdicchio, 10% Grechetto. 14,150 bottles produced. Dubbed the “Nun wine,” the fruit used is grown naturally by three nuns from a Trappist Cistercian monastery on the outskirts of the hillside town of Vitorchiano, an hour north of Rome. The winemaker is Giampiero Bea, a reputable Umbrian who comes from a family of famous winemakers (his father is Paolo Bea from Montefalco), who uses some extended skin contact with the juice as well as extended lees contact and no temperature control during fermentation. “Coenobium” refers to a community of monks.

My Notes:
The wine is dark golden – almost a light apple juice colour in the glass. A very intense nose of canned fruit cocktail (canned pears, pineapple and cherries), minerally, yeasty and a strange floride-type component (intended oxidation?). Very complex and intriguing. A very rich waxy honeysuckle mouthfeel with medium acid. More canned fruit cocktail character and more stoney minerality. The long finish leaves you with interesting almond skin and coconut notes. Very complex. An amazing wine with an intensity like few whites I’ve tasted from Italy.

Maybe not for every novice wine drinker, but I think everyone will be able to appreciate its unique character and quality. I assume the fermentation style (non-temperature controlled) contributes to the richness, milder acidity and slight oxidative style. At $25 US this is an absolute treat (if you can find one of the other 14,149 bottles).