My Newsweek story on unusual wine regions

Morocco to the Moon

Aug 20, 2012 --Alice Feiring

Years back, when Napa winemaker Michael Mondavi told me that he would love to make wine on the moon, I thought, Michael, you are one crazy dude.

Historically, there have been some basic prerequisites for a good wine region: water (yes, the moon has some, though it’s frozen), enough sunlight (that would be a “no”) and rich mineral soil, such as limestone, granite, slate, or schist. (Molten glass rock? Dubious.)

But the truth is, when it comes to planting, modern technology can now trump nature. With irrigation bringing precious water to deserts, grape clones resisting disease and extreme weather, earth-moving machines replacing poor soil, and reverse osmosis adjusting the intensity of wines......

Comments

[Sarah May]

Great article. Have you had the chance to taste wine from Armenia? I haven't myself, but I am planning a wine trip to Georgia and Armenia next spring.

[Cutter Knox]

Alice, I'm always curious to how much you look to try forgotten - or little known - grapes. Much like what Chris Kern is doing in SoCal. Things like Traminette from Ithaca or Negrette, et al. While it's the natural/minimalist wine world is wonderful, what about those gems no one sees much of anymore? Do those things pique your interest as well?

[Alicefeiring]

Negrette in California is rare but not so rare in Marcillac. Plenty of rare grapes in these pages. Grapes like Traminette--hybrids, if they taste good, sure.