by Giles Cadman
Growing wine in the tropics is considered near impossible, as there are not the definite seasons that traditional wine growing regions enjoy. So I was somewhat surprised to read about wine grown in Tahiti.
Tahiti, the remote French Polynesian island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is one of the world’s least-known wine regions. As unlikely as it might seem, grape wine is made on this tropical island, albeit in tiny quantities.
Humidity is also a major problem in the tropics.
Due to the high humidity of its climate, Tahiti island itself is unsuitable for viticulture, so wines made on the island are vinified from grapes grown on the nearby Rangiroa atoll. Rangiroa is part of the ‘neighboring’ Tuamotu archipelago, some 215 miles (350km) to the north-east. This might seem like a vast distance, but it is tiny when viewed in the context of Polynesia and the Pacific Ocean. One of the largest atolls on earth, Rangiroa encircles a vast lagoon some 45 miles (75km) across. The atoll is one of very few viticulturally suitable sites in French Polynesia, thanks to its relatively dry climate; humid climates, specifically the fungal diseases which thrive in them, pose major health threats to tropical vineyards.
Interestingly the terroir is similar to parts of Burgundy.
The ‘terroir’ in which Tahitian wines are produced is very much a product of Rangiroa’s location in a tropical, oceanic location. By definition, atolls are composed largely of calcium carbonate, which is secreted by corals as a natural part of their life cycle, so Rangiroa naturally benefits from fast-draining calcareous (limestone) soils. Dominique Auroy, Tahiti’s only winemaker, is quick to point out the similarity between the soils here and in his native Burgundy. The climate, however, is quite distinct from anything found anywhere in mainland France.
There are some advantages to Tahiti’s distant location.
Happily, one viticultural challenge faced in almost every wine region on Earth is not a problem here. The dreaded phylloxera, so devastating in other wine regions, has never made it to Polynesia. The most significant pests in the vineyards here are the large land crabs which live on the atoll, and pluck leaves from young vines.
They grow some interesting varieties.
The most widely used wine grapes on Tahiti are Carignan (red) and Muscat Hamburg. Both of these varieties are known for their ability to survive heat. Also used is the little-known ‘Italia’, a large-berried table grape crossed from Muscat Hamburg and the near-extinct French ‘Bicane’ variety.
