Soils and Terroir Expression in Wines

Abstract

No other agricultural product has as strong a relationship with the soil as does wine. The link is immediately perceptible in the label, as most wines bear the name of the place of their origin. In a multitude of locations, each with particular characteristics with regard to soil and climate, a myriad of wines are produced, all differing in taste and quality. Some conditions are particularly favourable to wine growing and allow the production of wines of exquisite quality. The market acknowledges these differences in quality and accepts that some wines are worth tenfold, or even hundredfold, the price of those grown in less favourable environments. The hierarchy of wines has become more and more sophisticated over the years, resulting in the delimitation of production areas and the classification of famous growths. The most striking example is found in the Burgundy region, where selling prices vary from one to tenfold depending on the location of the vineyard plot, although viticultural practices and winemaking process are basically identical across plots belonging to the same grower. As a result, value can be attributed to wine production in terms of quality rather than quantity, which is a quite unique situation among agricultural products. In most wine growing areas, productivity is three to five times lower than possible attainable yields. Vines are often grown under environmental stress, which reduces yield but enhances grape quality potential. In wine production, the effect of the environment on wine quality is referred to as “the terroir effect”. Although “terroir” has similarities with the French word “terre”, it has a broader meaning than the influence of the soil on the taste of wine. Terroir is concerned with the relationship between the characteristics of an agricultural product (generally wine) and its geographic origin, which might influence these characteristics. It can be defined as an interactive ecosystem, in a given place, including climate, soil and the