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WineEast cluded those from Washington state, Argentina, Australia and Chile, and it is easy to taste the common thread among them. "Cloudy wines" also came from regions like Piedmont and Tuscany. This issue of sun and clouds is not well understood. I often won- der about the relative value and influence of quantities and quality of sunshine (direct or diffuse light) and temperature (maximum and diurnal) on fruit chemistry, quality and maturity. The clouds also imply more rain, and too much rain or cloudy weather at the wrong time can do irreparable damage to wine quality. The secret that the French, Germans and Italians have figured out is how to make very good wines in very mediocre vintages. Clearly, sun and clouds yield strikingly different wines, and that is the strongest impression I got based on what I tasted. Of course there are hybrid versions of the sunny and cloudy wines, and areas such as Tuscany seem to linger in the middle. In any given vintage, the sun or clouds can pronounce their presence in the wines. GreenHoe_NewAd_1/4_9/22.qxp 9/28/09 9:30 AM Page 1 In the context of terroir, it makes sense to follow the advice of Christian Moueix of Chateau Petrus, who suggests that the cloudy folks try not to box out of their weight class, as the sunny wines will always overwhelm the cloudy wines in a one-on-one punch-fest. Instead, let us incorporate the sophisticated nuances of the best varieties suited to our terroir and make wines that reflect our soil and climate. It's just not as easy for us in cloudy regions as it is for the sunny guys. In the past decade, vintage variation has been dramatic in highlighting the challenges in vineyards and cellars in the eastern United States, where warm and dry conditions—as in 2007, 2008 and 2010—result in nice wines, while cool and wet years—2003, 2004 and 2009—yield, well, not such great wines. The secret that the French, Germans and Italians have figured out is how to make very good wines in very mediocre vintages. The complete bust of a vintage doesn't happen in those countries anymore, because they use knowledge and technology to mitigate any curve balls that Mother Nature throws at them. Yes, the classic years separate themselves from the crowd, but they are still more the exception than the rule. Given acceptable conditions, the same knowledge and technology is available to the winegrower in Pennsylvania as in the Left Bank, Barolo and the Mosel. The power of viticulture to determine the outcome of wine quality cannot be underestimated. Having a great vineyard site helps, but it is not the only ingredient for great wine. In a recent Wine Spectator article about Domaine de la Romanée- BUCorp_Dec10.qxp 9/20/10 4:27 PM Page 1 GREEN GRAPE HOE Specialized Tools For Vineyards Weed Control and In-Row cultivation Basic Hoe comes with a Hillup and a Takeaway Blade. Additional attach- ments include .3 Tooth Cultivator, Undercutter Blade, Green Hoe with Rotary Head Attachment Rotary head, "NEW" Rolling Cultivator and "New" Brush Rake for removing trimmings out from under the trellis. 6645 West Main Road Portland, NY 14769 PHONE (716) 792-9433 FAX (716) 792-9434 WWW.GREENHOECOMPANY.COM Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 2011 63