Use as a methodological guardrail. A sensory difference in a commercial flight cannot be assigned to grain origin when yeast, distillation, maturation, or other production variables also differ.
The wine experiment is used to establish a general causal-design standard before Arnold transfers the logic to whiskey.
Arnold argues that flavor cannot be attributed to terroir unless competing genetic and production variables are controlled. His proposed comparison holds grape variety and clone, vintage, yeast strain, production method, and oak exposure constant; he ultimately excludes oak-aged samples because oak species, forest, seasoning, and treatment add their own place and process effects.
PDF sheet 67; printed p. 57
PDF sheets 66–67; printed pp. 56–57
Chapter 4 — The Wine Terroir Tasting
Freshly checked 2026-09-28 against supplied PDF 66–67 / printed 56–57 using enlarged rendered pages and sequential reading. Verification establishes faithful source representation, not independent validation of every author claim.
Evidence
Arnold argues that flavor cannot be attributed to terroir unless competing genetic and production variables are controlled. His proposed comparison holds grape variety and clone, vintage, yeast strain, production method, and oak exposure constant; he ultimately excludes oak-aged samples because oak species, forest, seasoning, and treatment add their own place and process effects.
Locator and context
PDF sheets 66–67; printed pp. 56–57; end PDF sheet 67; printed p. 57. The wine experiment is used to establish a general causal-design standard before Arnold transfers the logic to whiskey.
Assessment
Use as a methodological guardrail. A sensory difference in a commercial flight cannot be assigned to grain origin when yeast, distillation, maturation, or other production variables also differ.
Fresh verification
Freshly checked 2026-09-28 against supplied PDF 66–67 / printed 56–57 using enlarged rendered pages and sequential reading. Verification establishes faithful source representation, not independent validation of every author claim.