Typicity (French ''typicité'', Italian ''tipicità'') is a term in
wine tasting
Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onward. Modern, professional w ...
used to describe the degree to which a
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...
reflects its
varietal
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...
origins and thus demonstrates the signature characteristics of the grape from which it was produced, e.g., how much a
Merlot
Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...
wine “tastes like a Merlot”. It is an important component in judging
wine competition
A wine competition is an organized event in which trained judges or consumers competitively rate different vintages, categories, and/or brands of wine. Wine competitions generally use blind tasting of wine to prevent bias by the judges.
Types of ...
when wines of the same variety are judged against each other.
[ J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 716 Oxford University Press 2006 ]
In some countries, such as
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, typicity is used as part of a qualitative hierarchy that takes into consideration soil, climate and
vintage
Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...
. A similar concept to the French
terroir
(, ; from ''terre'', "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these contex ...
, though slightly less controversial, Austrian ''Qualitätswein'' (literally "quality wine") is tested for typicity with the classification printed on the wine label.
[ J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 54 Oxford University Press 2006 ]
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
Sean Haley Thackrey (July 9, 1942May 30, 2022) was an American winemaker based in the town of Bolinas in Marin County, California. Prior to winemaking, he was a director of an art gallery.Fisher, Lawrence M. (November 7, 1993)"Tiny Wineries Wit ...
, as ''viticultural racism''.
[ Allan Bree ']
An Afternoon with Sean Thackrey
'' Califusa's Archive, Gang of Pour Accessed: October 15th, 2008
References
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Wine tasting