When selling good wine, the consultant, telling you about it, often mentions such a word as "terroir". Few people know what it is, but this term is closely associated with both the drink and winemaking in general. It is very important and plays a big role in the production of intoxicating drink. What is terroir in wine, its characteristics and influence will be discussed in the article.
Meaning
Terroir is a whole combination of various factors and characteristics, such as terrain, soil features, wind roses, the presence of forests, its massifs, water bodies (lakes, rivers). This set also includes insolation (irradiation of space and surface with the sun's rays), flora and fauna around.
Terroir is the complex that determines the varietal characteristics of any product. For example, coffee, tea, cheese, olive oil, but most often wine. A terroir product is a product that is made from raw materials grown inspecific terrain and strictly controlled conditions. To put it succinctly, terroir is the environment of origin.
Value in winemaking
This concept first appeared in the field of winemaking. French masters under the term "terroir" understand the totality of the characteristics and conditions of one area where grapes are grown. According to the old tradition, they use such a name as "appellation d, origine", which in French means "appellation of origin".
In a limited sense, this term refers only to the very soil on which the vine grew. However, do not forget that terroir is precisely the combination of all the factors described above.
Winemakers attach such great importance to terroir for a reason, because it greatly affects the color, saturation, aroma, and, most importantly, the taste of wine. So, for example, a vine growing on a slope in siliceous soil will produce a crop that will have a slight hint of silicon in the bouquet.
Varieties
Continuing to consider what terroir is, it is necessary to pay attention to the grapes from which producers create unique drinks. As well as the soil in which it grows. Winemakers have noticed since ancient times that the same terroir cannot be suitable for all grape varieties.
Let's say if Chardonnay is planted on the land where the Sauvignon variety is grown, then the probability that its new crop will bring the necessary fruits or their qualitywill be extremely low.
Naturally, this knowledge was obtained through trial and error for more than 6 thousand years. In the end, experts realized that it was the terroir that influenced the favorable taste of the drink. After some time, experts began to recognize and highlight areas that are most suitable for a particular grape variety. It was from this that the formation of the concept of terroir began, and then it became the basis for the classification of European wines.
Soil
Absolutely in any vineyard, the starting point and the very basis of the beverage production process is the soil. As paradoxical as it may sound, the grapevine produces its best results on scarce, impoverished and infertile lands.
Soils for planting are divided into several types. The separation depends on the ratio of the amount of clay, sand, chernozem in the soil, and alluvial precipitation is also taken into account. Quite often, several varieties of soil can be found in one vineyard.
Varieties
In viticulture, soils are divided into the following types:
- Clay (they are also called heavy). Their main difference is extremely high viscosity and density. They retain moisture very well, which allows grapes to grow, giving a tart, bright, tannic taste of the drink.
- Sandy or light soils, the main feature of which is the predominance of sand. Such soils have increased moisture and air permeability, but at the same time they retain water poorly. They can warm up quite well, but also quickly andcool down. Grapes ripen on them, from which a light, delicate wine is obtained.
- Alluvial soils are soils that contain clay, gravel, sand and shale rocks. They are most often located in the mouths of rivers and near lakes. In such soils, the vine produces berries that produce fruity, aromatic wines.
Other species
In addition to common types of soil, there are areas with their own soil characteristics. These types include:
- Limestone soils, which are rich in calcium, hold water very well. Due to the trace elements found in such soil, wines are obtained with a complex bouquet and a bright, sour taste.
- Volcanic soils are divided into 2 types: with a predominance of bas alt and with a high concentration of tuff. Grapes grown on such soil give the drink a smoky, "volcanic" bouquet.
- Stony soils - on this type of vine ripens early enough. The vine root system in such land goes deep in search of water. In fact, the vine suffers from difficult growing conditions, however, in the future, its berries produce complex, complex drinks.
Terroir is so important that it is necessary to select one or another grape variety for each type of soil. Otherwise, the taste of the wine will be unsaturated or even spoiled.
Terroirs of Russia
In our country, Kuban and Crimea have long been considered the best terroirs. In these places, a very favorable climate for growing grapes, a variety of soil types, moderate insolation, as well as a variety offlora and fauna.
As for the Kuban, the best terroir of these places is Abrau-Dyurso. No wonder Prince L. S. Golitsyn, a great connoisseur of wine, opened a factory for the production of sparkling wines here in 1870. He already noted the uniqueness of these places, while taking into account all the components of the Kuban terroir.
It is worth noting that many French winemakers emphasize the very advantageous position of the Kuban. At the same time, specifying that, according to some indicators and properties, the local terroir outperforms most French ones.
Crimea and wine terroir
In the Crimea, winemaking originated in the times of Ancient Greece, when settlers settled on the peninsula (in Chersonese). In the future, their experience was adopted by other peoples who lived in these places.
The terroirs of Crimea are diverse and unique. The combinations of soils, terrain, insolation and precipitation are so different here that they amaze all masters of winemaking. The wind rose on the Crimean peninsula also contributes to the taste of the drink. The air, saturated with winds from the sea and mountains, comes to the vine, creating a unique wine terroir.
Today, a new method of growing plants taken from various places is widely used. So, for example, a vine grown in Bordeaux is transplanted into the terroir of the Kuban or Crimea. This is done in order to get a new, unusual, complex taste of the terroir. This practice has recently begun to be used in our country, but it is already bearing fruit. Suchexperiments allowed French and Crimean winemakers to obtain varieties of wines, the taste and bouquet of which sparkled with new colors.
Besides this, the drink acquires perfection and a complex, rich, unique taste. Some copies created in the Crimea even surpassed their predecessors in France. This was a real pleasant shock for French and Russian winemakers. After all, it would seem, is it possible to improve the beautiful and original French wine? It turns out yes. And one of the main roles in this was played by the Russian terroir. A noble French vine gave a berry in local conditions, from which it was possible to create a real wine masterpiece.
Today, this wine has become very popular with most connoisseurs of the drink, which pushes the creators to new experiments with the vine and various terroirs.
This example shows that specialists in this field continue to research and search not only for the ancient traditions of their predecessors, but also create unique technologies for growing vines and making new varieties of wine.
