Being a resident of the Napa Valley, picturesque vineyards are part of my daily commute to work. As such, it becomes astonishingly easy to take the local landscape for granted, or even worse, to mindlessly follow the car in front of me, paying little attention to my surroundings. But even as the valley’s lush scenery can sometimes become commonplace, there are always moments when I will view the Napa Valley through new eyes. After all, even the most jaded Napa resident cannot help but marvel at the yellow fields of wild mustard that accompany the springtime, or the array of stunning fall foliage that adorns the vineyards during their waning days.
For the true wine aficionado, the simple appreciation of the Napa Valley scenery will ultimately lead to more cerebral moments. With so many discussions regarding terroir these days, the inquisitive connoisseur will undoubtedly look beyond the sheer beauty of Napa, and attempt to draw specific connections between the landscape and the wine that emerges from it. In time, thoughts on terroir will lead to several fundamental questions regarding the Napa Valley itself, the primary question being: how, exactly, was the Napa Valley created? In many ways, asking this question is an attempt to understand the very core of winemaking.
Jonathan Swinchatt and David Howell’s text, “The Winemaker’s Dance,” reveals many of the mysteries behind the formation of the Napa Valley, offering an enlightening view of California’s geological history. To be sure, Swinchatt and Howell’s book is not casual reading by any means, although the authors do perform the admirable task of making geology eminently approachable for the lay reader. Even so, those who wish to gain clear scientific insight may need to read the first chapter of the book more than once — 140 million years of geological history requires a somewhat dedicated level of attention.
“The Winemaker’s Dance” is replete with interesting information, and is supported with plenty of helpful pictures and illustrations throughout the text. In later chapters, the book broadens its scope to include discussions on farming practices and modern winemaking techniques. For those who can visit the Napa Valley in person, the book also provides two chapters that are essentially self-guided tours, explaining the terrain as one drives north along either Highway 29 or the Silverado Trail. “The Winemaker’s Dance” is honest in its approach, and the authors readily admit that the link between terroir and taste is not yet supported by any hard, scientific evidence. Even so, the book does offer a unique perspective, giving the beauty of the Napa Valley a proper backstory.
