The French have a word, terroir, which finds its way into many an article of wine-speak. It means 'arable land', but in wine-speak it's used to mean the taste that manifests itself in a wine as the direct result of where it is grown - in other words its provenance. A wine's terroir, then, is rooted in where its began life.
Until recently that made some sense. If you picked up a glass of an unknown wine, recognised the taste of Gamay grape and saw a light garnet colour, coupled with a fruity bouquet and taste, you could say without much fear of being wrong 'That's a Beaujolais.' When you tasted a full-bodied, honeyed and creamy white with the unmistakable nose of Chardonnay, you could say 'That's a white Burgundy.' But my, how the world has changed.

For Europeans the wine world has grown exponentially in the past fifty years. No longer do our retail shelves hold wines from just Europe, now they're host to every wine-producing country in the world. But an extension of choice is not the only change; the technology of wine-production has evolved too. In the last century, all across Europe, traditional grapes were grown in traditional areas and traditional wines were made. Each wine was literally rooted in its area, by tradition, by habit and by terroir. All this is changing and changing rapidly, as new techniques of vinification come on line together with a change in consumers' tastes.

It's the change in tastes that has changed the wine world. Once, if you were bored with the taste of Beaujolais you tried another area's wines. But with today's technology a wine-maker can make just about any style of wine in just about any area. It's no longer a case of 'What kind of wine does this terroir produce?' but 'What kind of wine will we make on this terroir?' Last week I mentioned Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay, whose full, rich flavours revolutionised consumers' tastes. But it had another effect; its phenomenal sales ensured that it had its epigones - its huge market share made it a target for other wine-makers to aim at.

We are now in a world where wines can be made to the dictates of the market researchers. If they come back to the winery with the information that a particular style of wine is selling hugely, then that's the style the winery will emulate. If the market researchers explain that consumers are now buying wines increasingly as varietals, then that's how they'll be marketed. Global communications means producers watch not only the market, but one another. Our buying patterns are scrutinised and the next sales pitch will be based on them. Perhaps it's time to put terroir up for set-aside.

Wine of the Week

Domaine Petit Alain, Vielles Vignes 1998

This fine wine from the Languedoc is a good example of what terroir means. The Petit Alain estate has been in the same family for four generations and tradition is a big part of their ethos. Made from old Carignan vines, the wine has a full-bodied earthiness profoundly different to designer wines. It also ages extremely well.

Available from Bubble Brothers, Cork, Dun Laoghaire and the Internet. RRP £8.95