Lesson plan
Typicity
Typicity (French typicité, Italian tipicità) is a term in wine tasting used to describe the degree to which a wine reflects its varietal origins and thus demonstrates the signature characteristics of the grape from which it was produced, e.g., how much a Merlot wine “tastes like a Merlot”. It is an important component in judging wine competition when wines of the same variety are judged against each other. In some countries, such as Austria, typicity is used as part of a qualitative hierarchy that takes into consideration soil, climate and vintage. A similar concept to the French terroir, though slightly less controversial, Austrian Qualitätswein (literally "quality wine") is tested for typicity with the classification printed on the wine label. As a concept, typicity relies on both historical precedent and a sentiment of what the present-day majority view how a certain variety should “taste”. This can be considered a subjective and unreliable way to measure wine, opening the door to elitism with what has been criticized by some, such as Sean Thackrey, viticultural racism.
Article summary
Typicity (French typicité, Italian tipicità) is a term in wine tasting used to describe the degree to which a wine reflects its varietal origins and thus demonstrates the signature characteristics of the grape from which it was produced, e.g., how much a Merlot wine “tastes like a Merlot”. It is an important component in judging wine competition when wines of the same variety are judged against each other. In some countries, such as Austria, typicity is used as part of a qualitative hierarchy that takes into consideration soil, climate and vintage. A similar concept to the French terroir, though slightly less controversial, Austrian Qualitätswein (literally "quality wine") is tested for typicity with the classification printed on the wine label. As a concept, typicity relies on both historical precedent and a sentiment of what the present-day majority view how a certain variety should “taste”. This can be considered a subjective and unreliable way to measure wine, opening the door to elitism with what has been criticized by some, such as Sean Thackrey, viticultural racism.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.