This article comes with two warnings: one, it is geeky and may not be for those who prefer some romance and mystery about their wine; two, it is a long time since I studied A-Level chemistry and biology and although the theories below are Dr Damian Martin’s, all the mistakes are mine. Please feel free to comment or contradict.
Last November Dr Damian Martin held a masterclass to look at the question of whether that much-discussed topic minerality is the key to the future success of Sauvignon Blanc. Dr Martin heads up viticulture and winemaking at Ara in New Zealand...