Wine lesson: terroir
The FavorFlav editorial team loves wine, but as soon as it comes to terroir, tannins and sulphites, their attention tends to wane somewhat. Because what exactly does that sommelier mean? Miss WineLane comes to the rescue and guides you through the wild forest of wine terminology. This week: terroir.
What is it?
The term terroir comes from the French word terre, meaning earth. It refers to the natural environment in which grapes grow: both above and below the ground. Terroir is the combination of the soil, the climate and the location of a vineyard. The winemaker is part of it too, because terroir encompasses everything that influences the ultimate aroma and flavour of wine.
A true terroir wine?
Some wine regions talk about their terroir more than others. A true terroir wine is highly characteristic – and therefore unique – to a particular place. Usually, this concerns a (more expensive) bottle from a classic European wine region such as Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Moselle and Piedmont. In some cases, it even concerns a single vineyard. A true wine connoisseur can even taste whether a wine comes from the northern or southern slope of a vineyard. Because more or less sun? That too is terroir.
A mark of quality?
Terroir in wine is regarded as the ultimate mark of quality. It is therefore not a specific aroma or flavour, but a collection of typical characteristics associated with a particular place and recognisable in the wine that comes from there.
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