Wine Typicality and Beyond
Wine Typicity and Beyond
Among the many misunderstood definitions one can find in the wine library, the word 'typicality' is probably one of the most controversial. And depending on the way it is used can have multi-impact results on a wine.
Typicality can promote or demote wine's quality, just if a wine critic or a journalist judges that a bottle of wine is atypical and grants it a low rating.
Typicality can define if a wine deserves to mention its place of origin on the label and whether or not it has the PDO umbrella. Many quality wines sold as Vin de France because the AOC tasting panels rejected them as atypical. Many scandals have occurred over the years in some local Italian consortiums, leading some top-class producers to leave the consortium. The same happened in Spain, Austria and almost everywhere.
Typicality can determine a wine's price range. There is a difference in the wine's value, such as Sancerre AOC or Vin de France.
Typicality can increase or decrease a wine's sales number since all of the above could significantly impact it.
Typicality can even affect the result of wine exams for an individual if he fails to find a request.
It seems to have a lot of power for just a word, but where does this power come from? First, let's see what typical wine means. A short description is an "expression of origin and grape variety as well" and furthermore "a wine's quality of being typical of its type, geographical provenance, and even its vintage year", as Jancis Robinson MW wrote.
To explain it with an example, a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand should have an intense and generous aromatic profile focused on tropical fruit flavours. A Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre should have an intense yet austere aromatic profile and express green apple and mineral notes. Everything else outside of an acceptable range cannot be considered a typical and representative Sauvignon Blanc.
The founding of the term typicality was necessary and proper at some point in time, and maybe it still is. A casual wine consumer must know what he buys and how a Sancerre would taste, no matter the producer. But, of course, quality also exists outside of typical wines. But would a casual wine consumer be receptive or at least not hostile if his Sauvignon Blanc bottle tastes way different from what he used to drink? I can assure you no! Since those consumers do not want to get outside of their comfort zone. And what about wine lovers who are bored with the normal, are more adventurous, and want to try something else? Should they search alone, spending hours on the internet to find a wine worth paying for?
Nowadays, more than ever, typicality is in dispute. Many producers worldwide have turned to more eco-friendly ways, different cultivation practices have been applied, winemaking techniques changed, and winemaker choices are diverse even in the same region. All those aspects have a great result, making various and unique wines for every palate, ready to discover a new point of view of what is typical. However, are all at a certain quality level? Not even close, but this is another topic.
So, should we consider whether a wine is typical or not for judging it? Is there another 'typical world' that we have not yet discovered? Another point of view, maybe? Is typicality oppressive? Should we settle typicality in smaller parts in order to create new typical forms and promote diversity?
It is not as straightforward as yes or no to answer the questions. However, from a commercial aspect, we must protect the consumers by letting them know what they will find in the bottle. So the PDO status should continue to preserve the quality and typicality of the region. But, in a wine world constantly moving and changing, the winemakers should have the freedom to experiment, explore the limits and express the terroir the way they see it, even atypical. Probably the category of natural wines holds the most atypical wines but not all. Also, some natural wines are the region's more typical. In this case, an extra definition on the label alongside PDO status would help the buyers make the right choice and avoid conflicts. In the end, the success is not to sell it but to make him buy it.