What's "Terroir" All About?

Terroir is a concept that has been used to determine the appellation system in many old-world wine regions. It originated in the old-world and has been central to the ranking of vineyards in regions like Burgundy & Bordeaux. The concept takes into account various factors such as the general climate of the region, micro-climate of each specific vineyard, the topography of the land, proximity to water, neighbouring vegetation, and the coming together of all these components to express the unique features of each vineyard. Terroir plays a significant role in affecting the quality of grapes grown and contributes to the overall character of a wine.

What does Terroir mean?

The term "terroir" refers to the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate. 

Terroir is a "sense of place" This term comprises the whole natural localised environment. Terroir plays a significant role in producing unique and high-quality grapes, contributing to the final character of a wine.

What makes for good Terroir?

A good terroir would include factors such as soil composition, topography, climate, and other environmental elements that influence the grapes grown in a specific region. Such as:

• General climate of the region
• The unique climate of each vineyard within a region, referred to as “micro-climate”
• The topography
  • Sun exposure – south facing in the Northern Hemisphere or north facing in the Southern Hemisphere
  • Altitude above sea level, affects temperature within the vineyard
  • Gradient of the vineyard, hills facing the sun are much better
• Proximity to a water mass, sea, lakes, rivers. All playing a part in keeping the area cool
• Other surrounding plants/trees can affect the climate, available water, and ultimately the taste of the wines
   

And so, each vineyard, or even each plot within a vineyard has its own unique terroir and this in part is what gives each wine its sense of place/belonging to its patch of land, its home. Terroir determines the quality of the grapes grown and consequently plays a very important part in the finished wine.

Cheers!

Phil Taylor
Regional Account Manager

  Back to blog