The Holocene is the current geological epoch. It falls within the Quaternary period, whose only other epoch is the Pleistocene (1.7 million to 10,000 years ago, during which the first primitive humans appeared). The Holocene has lasted for 12,000 years, after the last glacial period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene saw human domination begin. Continued human activity threatens to cause irreversible changes to Earth, including but not limited to anthropogenic climate change. Hence some scientists want to re-name the Holocene as the Anthropocene. Wine terroirs created during the Holocene (naturally, not by humans…) include Gattinara DOCG (Ian D’Agata: 2019, p.342, appendix).

Bibliography

Dr Ian d’Agata, Native Wine Grape Terroirs (University of California Press, 2019).