我深入探讨了葡萄酒中小气候的概念，这些条件在葡萄栽培区（AVA）中的作用是如此重要，酿酒师Erica Stancliff将其比作一个亚AV。作为加利福尼亚索诺玛山Trombetta Family Wines和Pfendler Vineyards的酿酒师，以及Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance的一员，Stancliff定义了小气候为“与周围地区具有独特气候差异的一小部分地区”。这些微妙的环境因素包括距离水体、土壤类型、地理特征、海拔和温度湿度，从而影响着每一片土地。
尽管在同一个葡萄园内，这些特征可能会有所不同，小气候仍然是决定成熟度收获的重要考虑因素，同时也是使一些小型酿酒区和葡萄园独具特色的原因之一。Matt Davis, a winemaker in Santa Barbara, California, has a profound understanding of how small climate variations affect different regions within his AVA. For instance, the distance from the ocean is the biggest determining factor in Sonoma County.
The series of hills, valleys and plateaus in both AVAs make these microclimates even more nuanced. Factors such as fog will settle into valleys creating cooler microclimates. On the other hand, vineyards above the fog line are exposed to more sunlight resulting in higher daytime temperatures but also experiencing more dramatic diurnal temperature fluctuations due to elevation.
These subtleties determine which varieties grow best where. "Sta Rita Hills gets what we like to call 'cool-cured sunlight'," says Davis." It's very well-suited for growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah."
Moving east towards Happy Canyon, grapevines face even more extreme diurnal temperature fluctuations that help maintain acidity for widely planted Bordeaux varieties.
"I haven't even considered Los Alamos," adds Davis with regard to the many sub-AVAs within Santa Barbara County each with its own unique environmental conditions.
Stancliff collaborates with several vineyards in Sonoma County where Pinot Noir is one of the most widely planted varieties. Grapes serve as case studies on how to break down broader AVAs into specific environmental conditions.
"In some areas like Russian River Valley," she says,"Pinot Noir matures slightly faster than surrounding coastal areas leading to different flavor profiles and tannin maturity levels."
In Petaluma Gap AVA where winds play a crucial role named after coastal mountains' chasms that funnel cool sea breezes inland "[it] defines our microclimate", says Stancliff." The grapes react by forming thicker skins on their berries."
Thicker skins yield more color depth and concentration of flavors in the wine produced from them. "For all we do in our cellar," notes Davis," it's important to remember that wine is defined by thousands of moments related to grape life – wind, sun exposure root depth – along with human intervention."
Terroir is driven by countless such moments."
