On the Road with JHU - Terroir: A Sense of Place for food and drinks

Sponsored by Hopkins Alumni & Hopkins at Home

Derived from the French word terre, meaning “earth”, terroir refers to the environmental factors that affect crops in specific reasons. During this event, you’ll uncover the terroir of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States through three lenses while exploring some wine from the region. As we discuss terroir in food with a focus on wine, we'll hear from viticulturists and fellow alumni, David (School of Medicine '72) and Jeanne (School of Medicine '69) Crawford Beck, who will share their knowledge of terroir as it relates to the grapes they grow at the Crawford Beck Vineyard in Amity, OR and lead us through a wine tasting (optional) featuring Winderlea Vineyard & Winery, a local Oregon wine.

We'll also be joined by two faculty members from the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences (KSAS). Bill Egginton, the Decker Professor in the Humanities and Director of the Alexander Grass Humanities Institute, will explore the ways in which the Pacific Northwest region mirrors various parts of Europe and how we can find bits of that cultural influence in this region of the US. Tom Lectka, Jean and Norman Scowe Professor of organic chemistry, will share the science behind the grape and how chemistry shapes our experiences in taste. This conversation will be moderated by alumna Eugenia Liu, KSAS '96, member of the Hopkins Portland alumni chapter committee. 

We have put together a pair of 2017 Winderlea pinot noir wines, one from the Crawford Beck Vineyard and one from the Winderlea Estate Vineyard, for our tasting and comparison. They are from the same vintage, same winemaker, same grape, same region of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, but different vineyards on different soils, different farming practices, different environmental conditions, etc. The special price for JHU will be $110 with FedEx ground “cold chain” shipping for quality control. This price will be valid for orders through 5pm PT on May 27 (for delivery by June 9) - for orders placed after, the cost will increase to $125. June 10 will be the last day for orders to assure arrival for program. To order, please go to: https://winderlea.com/product/crawford-beck-pack/

You can choose your own wines for this exercise if you prefer. We cannot suggest specific wines because the wine availability and stock varies so widely. Go to your favorite wine shop and ask a knowledgeable sales person for two bottles, preferably of pinot noir, a delicate grape that shows the subtleties of terroir better than some other less delicate grapes, look specifically for from the same vintage and winery, but different vineyards or from the same winery and vineyard but different vintages.

It is advantageous to have a snack to go along with your sipping. You should have the same snack, very lightly flavored, for all of your sipping. Multiple snacks, especially highly flavored cheeses or charcuterie can skew your palate if you are trying to discern the differences between fine wines. “Oyster” crackers are ideal, but our favorite snack is the French hors d’oeuvre called gougères. They are very simple to make, but take caution: they are addictive!  The recipe will be shared with all registrants. 

The perspectives and opinions expressed by the speaker(s) during this program are those of the speaker(s) and not, necessarily, those of Johns Hopkins University and the scheduling of any speaker at an alumni event or program does not constitute the University’s endorsement of the speaker’s perspectives and opinions.