In Search of Wine Quality: Vineyard Location

In a discussion that we recently had with Charles and Kareem Massoud, we all came to the spontaneous agreement that a quality wine can only come from the best quality grapes and the often repeated axiom, "Great wine is made in the vineyard" is certainly true. Care taken in the vineyard to grow the best, cleanest grapes is the starting point for making a quality wine.
My husband and I often do things a certain way and ask ourselves "Why are we doing it this way?" I think that it is related to what I learned from the U.C. Davis online course that I took nearly 7 years ago. So recently, I dug out a 1993 review by Jackson and Lombard. Reviews are very good publications because they summarize knowledge gained on a particular topic and this one is all about wine quality.
In the review is this schematic showing that clearly 80% of what goes into wine quality is about things that happen in the vineyard.¹

Location:
The initial selection of the location may be one of the few decisions that a vineyard owner might have control over in the quest to produce quality wines. This decision encompasses the macroclimate and microclimate determinants as shown on the middle left side of the "Wine Quality" schematic above. Vineyard site selection should also take into account the soil type and water availability on the site.

Our vineyard, the red dot in the photo, is located on a hill, actually the highest point in Old Mystic, at the head of the Mystic River, not far from the Long Island Sound. Proximity to a body of water is a good thing. The Mystic River serves as a sink for cold air creating a warmer microclimate on this hill. As we farm the vineyard, we are learning more about the site. One of the things that we have begun to notice is the breeze that comes up during the late afternoon hours in the summer. In 2011, I wrote about the search for our property in a blogpost I called Quoketaug Hill. In blogs to come, I hope to work my way through the other decision making steps outlined in the schematic above. Stay tuned!
References:
1. D. I. Jackson, P. B. Lombard, Environmental and Management Practices Affecting Grape Composition and Wine Quality - A Review, Am J Enol Vitic., January 1993 44: 409-430; published ahead of print January 01, 1993.