Holy Terroir
‘Terroir’, the term referring to the distinct personality of a region that is a blending of geography, geology and climate, is at the heart of the world of wine cultivation and appreciation. And it is a concept that I love to hold up to the light and admire.
Playing with the idea one day, I found myself remembering a particularly memorable glass of wine. It was shared over a simple yet ever so satisfying meal in a dining room bustling with families and friends gathered on a weekend afternoon. It was the perfect environment in which to admire the mingling of landscapes, each resonating with their own vitality. There was the ‘terroir’ of the wine, the food, the warm hospitality of the dining room itself and the individual ‘terroir’ of each person present.
That last ‘terroir’, that of the individual, hung in my awareness as the memory of the meal slowly retired into the shadows. It was interesting to observe how from within the fadings of one appreciation yet another was blooming. I am...you are... a landscape with its own history and personality ; a ‘terroir’ that bears fruit. We press this fruit into a nectar of life to be shared, celebrated and honoured. Each of us, in effect, is an estate whose soil is cultivated by our choices. Our thoughts, words and actions become the bottles of vintages lining the cellar of life experience. And in paying homage to the importance of ‘terroir’ in making and enjoying wine, cheese or even crafting wood, we also honour ourselves.
And so it was within this context of wonder that, ever so quietly and with only the shyest smile of self satisfaction, the design arrived. ‘Holy Terroir’... I loved it! What a marvelous blend of sacred and fun, in the play on words with the expression ‘Holy Terror’. It reminds me with a wink, even now, there is a distinction between being sincere and being serious.
