At fine wine’s true core lies terroir, or the expression of place on wine. In a sense, terroir can be looked at as a wine’s DNA, as it provides the aroma, taste, and ageability difference in wines from all over the world. This was reinforced in a significant way last week when I spent the week in Northern Italy. From the high-altitude mountainous region of Alto Adige to the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco, the expression of place was never more evident.

There are 4 aspects that define terroir and how they influence wine:

1. CLIMATE

Wine regions can essentially be divided into two types of climates: cool climate and warm climate. Wine grapes from warmer climates generate higher sugar levels (which produce higher alcohol wines), whereas cooler climate wine grapes generally have lower sugar levels and retain more acidity. The climate of the whole region (continental, maritime, Mediterranean) is called the macroclimate. The location of the vineyard site, be up or down a hill, facing north or south, close to water is the mesoclimate.

2. SOIL

There are hundreds of different types of soil, rock, and mineral deposits in the world’s vineyards. Common soil types include gravel (common in Bordeaux), clay (common in Carneros and Right Bank Bordeaux), granite (common in Beaujolais), volcanic (common in Mt Etna in Sicily), slate (common in Mosel in Germany), limestone (common in Burgundy), sand (common in Barolo), and more. Grapevines find the water and nutrients they need to grow and produce fruit within the soil, while their energy comes from the sun. How a vineyard is farmed (sustainable, organic, biodynamic) plays a factor in the grapes flavor and quality.

3. TOPOGRAPHY & ELEVATION

The topography of a vineyard is its shape and the set of features it has. Valley floor vineyards receive both morning and afternoon sun, and thus produce wines that are a riper and plusher. As vineyard elevations increase and change, there are factors that contribute to a wine’s expression:

Incline affects how the water drains when it rains.
Slopes change how and when the sun hits the vineyard; East-facing gets morning sun and West-facing gets the warmer afternoon sun. South-facing is ideal for cooler climates as they get both morning and afternoon sun.
Wind and air currents circulate differently according to the landscape.
Proximity to bodies of water is also an important factor. Water tempers climate by storing and releasing heat and by increasing humidity.
Some vineyards even rely on the water surface reflecting sunlight to help ripening the grapes, such as Riesling vineyards on the bank of the Mosel River or near the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York.

4. TRADITION

Traditional winemaking (and vineyard growing) techniques can also contribute to a wine’s terroir. Even though tradition is a human interaction, ancient winemaking methods tend to be highly dependent on the region’s climate, soil, and terrain.

Terroir

There are 4 aspects that define terroir and how they influence wine:

Want to be the first to hear when we publish our next Wine Ed Index entry?

Terroir

There are 4 aspects that define terroir and how they influence wine:

Want to be the first to hear when we publish our next Wine Ed Index entry?

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