Terroir

A French word for a sense of place, which is an intrinsic part of the character of any classy wine. Some snobs will insist that terroir can only be found in the Old World, which is, of course, complete bulldust – although many of these countries do have an advantage in terms of getting the best out of their vineyards, thanks to a long history of trial and error. The true nature of terroir lies in a combination of a vineyard’s soil, its micro- and meso-climate – Is a particular vine in the shade of a gum tree or exposed to full-on sunshine? Are the vines facing the rising or the setting sun? Is the vineyard sheltered from winds by surrounding hills? – and its topography. The idea is that small variations in these parameters will result in the development of characters in the wines made from the grapes grown in different areas. Some wine experts believe that terroir is bunk, and that variations between wines made from grapes grown in a particular area come down to the winemaker’s actions. Anyone who believes that should settle down to a tasting of wines made by one winemaker from grapes grown in various parts of the same, or contiguous, vineyards.