Current Abstract

October 14th, 2025 Meeting Abstract

“Meditations on Terroir“

Presented by: 

Maia Davis

Abstract: 

Terroir has many definitions but, in essence, is described as the unique character of a wine that
is attributed to the place from which it came – “of the land.” But what does “of the land”
mean? Is it strictly confined to the natural components of a place – the amount of sun in a
growing season, the soil profile? Does it include human influences, such as pruning decisions
and winemaking style? This talk reviews a variety of elements that contribute to terroir and
distills them into four main components – temperature regime, soil properties, farming
practices, and winemaking style – that set the framework for terroir. I speculate on how
stresses are imparted upon, and mitigated against, grapevines and discuss the question “is
winemaking style really a component of terroir, or does it overprint it?”

I invite you to grab your favorite wine, then also grab a different bottle of the same variety and
vintage from a different vineyard or wine region, pour yourself a glass of each, and see what
differences you notice. And join me for a discussion of what the origin of those differences may
be.

Biography:

Maia Davis is a Professional Geologist and the Agricultural Program Manager for the El Dorado
& Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation Districts where she supports wine grape growers
(and other farmers/ranchers) throughout the El Dorado American Vinicultural Area (AVA). She
has worked as a geoscience consultant in energy, agriculture, and environmental services for
the last four years following a gratifying eleven-year career in oil and gas. Her geologic
education began at Santa Barbara City College, and she went on to receive her BS in geology
from UC Santa Barbara in 2009. She received her MS in geology at Long Beach State in 2018, a
winemaking certificate through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education in 2021, and
her MS in Soils and Biogeochemistry from UC Davis in 2024. She currently resides in
Georgetown, California, on the family vineyard where she was raised, working as a
viticulturalist and playing as a home-winemaker.