“Terroir”. It’s one of those trendy terms that are often used to show how much you know about the wine industry. And often it is misused since this term has an etymological meaning which translated from French literally means soil. However, in the wine industry, when used correctly, this term means so much more than simply – soil. It is often connected to the wider meaning of “territory” – the complex structure of factors which help define characteristics of particular places, even small, and encompasses even the individual grape variety.
The concept of “terroir” therefore embodies all the many factors which contribute to the uniqueness of any given vineyard such as climate, soil conditions, geological features (red volcanic soil will have different aromas compared to those of limestone soils), altitude and exposure to a single vineyard, presence of ground moisture, the use of selected yeasts, filtering practices and even the whole set of oenological practices used during the fermentation and wine production. These are the reasons why Sangiovese grape cannot be grown in Sicily and Veneto. So what makes Sangiovese Sangiovese? Like all other grapes on Italian territory, the combination of all the unique factors mentioned above, not just the terrain on which the vineyard is implanted. Southern Italy’s climate would be too hot and dry for a vine so wonderfully “tough” and is ideal for softer grape varieties such as Inzolia or Falanghina.
The terroir is thus the basis of each type of wine which is produced for our tables. As it is often said, the quality of a wine is born directly in the vineyard. Without the little details and unique factors directly associated to the territory, it is difficult for a wine to meet its full potential. But it is worth noting that a quality terroir can indeed produce a low quality wine. It is the responsibility of man to turn what nature has given him into gold, in this case – a great wine. Wines which come from the same grape variety can be very different from each other so it is necessary to rely on the experts who know how to use the unique base factors to create the true character of a wine. The potential in a terroir is there, but it is up to man to know how to use them.
