What On Earth Is Terroir?

You may have heard wine junkies throw around the term “terroir” before.  Maybe you just smile and nod as you wonder what on earth terroir means.  Well, you are not alone!  When I was just first getting into wines I heard the same term as well, yet I was way too proud to ask what the term meant.  I think the first time that I heard the term was when I lived in the San Francisco area.  My friend and I would frequently drink and talk about wine with the occasional trip to Napa or Sonoma.  It turns out that the term “terroir” is quite important in the Napa Valley region (and all regions for  that matter!).

Terroir is a French word that came from another French word, terre, meaning “land.”  This term refers to the special characteristics that make a particular parcel of land unique.  Terroir can refer to anything from the soil to the micro-climate to the topography.  It can almost be translated to mean the “sense of place” of a region.



Let’s use Napa Valley as an example.  Napa Valley itself has a terroir unique to the rest of the world, but even within Napa there is differing terroir.  For instance, as a whole Napa is mostly a Mediterranean climate.  This type of climate is good for growing Napa’s famous Cabernet Sauvignon.  This same arid moderate climate however is not great for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  So why does Napa produce great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay?  Terroir my friend, terroir!

Within Napa Valley is a smaller region to the south called Los Carneros which is much more mild than the surrounding valley.  This region is perfect for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay!  Climate alone is not what makes terroir, soil is another consideration.  The Carneros region is predominately clay and has very thin topsoil.  Weather also plays its role in terroir.  In Carneros, winds help to stress the grapes in order to provide intense flavors in the grapes.  So there are many factors that can contribute to terroir and can become fairly intricate in that even the kinds of trees that live in the surrounding area can have an influence.

The important thing to walk away with here is that terroir can fundamentally affect how the grapes taste and thus how the wine tastes.  So next time you find a wine you like, don’t simply look at the varietal, as so many Americans do, but pay attention to the terroir as well.  You might be more inclined to like a wine due to terroir than varietal!  You will also find that terroir is one of the factors that makes wine so interesting.  We like to tell all of our customers, "Think regionally first, then varietally second!"

Once you find a wine you like, you will want to know more about that wine.  Everything from the varietal, to the terroir, to the vintage, and even to the individual wine maker.  Spend some time drinking wine and thinking about how terroir can affect how the wine tastes and most importantly, teach your friends about terroir because you know that at one time you too didn't know what it meant, but now you do!