Goût de Terroir meaning Taste of the Earth, is a French phrase referring to wine and the flavors imparted by the earth in which the vines grow. The term originated in the 1700's and was used extensively for marketing later in the 1800's. Although specifically related to the taste of the dirt absorbed by the roots of the vine, it is more of a reference to the flavors of the terrain imparted on the plant. For example if you grow the same exact plant in two different parts of the world the wine from the two vines will pick up different flavors depending of whether there are fruit trees or a river nearby. Another way to view this is how the elementals surrounding a plant will factor into the flavor, not only the dirt (earth) but also fire (sun), air (wind) and water (rain).
I came to the knowledge Goût de Terroir, not through wine but through the study of essential oils while earning a certificate in aromatherapy. I learned that a lavender essential oil of the same species and variety grown in France will have a different aromatic profile than the a cutting of the same plant grown along the coast of Southern California. The 100 or more chemical constituents that make up the essential oil shift according to conditions where it is grown, thus impacting the aroma.
For years I had been using an oud from Cambodia for my perfumes. The little vial of this gem eventually was used up thus I switched to an agarwood obtained by way of Laos. Oud and agarwood are interchangeable names for an oil that comes from a species of trees in Asia known as Aquilaria. This precious “wood” has multiple names, besides oud and agarwood I’ve seen it called ud or aloeswood. The first time I learned about this essence was in an article written by Jan Kusmirek which appeared in the Aromatherapy Quarterly back in the mid 1990's.
Since the aromas of essences from different species and types of extractions are so varied and can change depending on environmental conditions, Goût de Terroir, blending botanical perfumes to be consistent can be challenging. In fact it is one of the reasons the large perfume houses turned to synthetics during the industrial revolution. Along with a consistent, stable aroma these lab created molecules were substantially less expensive and with extreme longevity. The result of these qualities in aromatic compounds launched the modern day perfume into the world wide industry that we know it as today.
A new challenge that appeared on the horizon when I began making natural perfume in the 90’s, was the growing interest in aromatherapy, mainly as a result of MLM’s. This created a demand for specific “grades” of essential oils with a focus on analytics instead of country of origin. Instead of seeking a true, fine lavender grown at high altitude like Lavandula angustifolia from France, the chemical components within the lavender became the focus. Thus, what becomes of interest to the large companies and their consumers is a lavender essential oil that might be a blend of lavenders grown in various areas but with a consistent aroma and chemical printout. This reductionist attitude results in a homogenization of essential oils.1 We see this taking place with searching for a single origin olive oil or coffee.
As humans, we tend to seek consistency and permanence, both qualities of elemental earth, the task for us is to also incorporate fire, air and water into our values so that we have variety in our landscape, while maintaining a strong sense of ethics. Just as we can appreciate a 2007 glass of riesling grown on a steep slope, near the Mosel river in Germany we are aware that next year the vintage will vary due to the rain.
Meanwhile as a response to globalization, corporatization and the homogenizing of art, we have a ground swell of makers specializing in hand spun yarn, artisanal cheeses, bitters, micro brews and perfume.
Nature is not consistent and although I work toward consistency as a perfumer sometimes mother nature has an altered plan. Cheers to our aromatic adventure and all those twists and turns that keep us on our toes while still planted here on Earth.
1 Kurt Schnaubelt, Essential Oil Outlook 2016