The steep slope, soil composition and influences of the nearby Mosel river are unique aspects of the terroir of this German wine region. The Moselle (Moselle Mosel Musel is a River flowing through France, Luxembourg and Germany. German wine is primarily produced in the southwest of Germany, along River Rhine and its tributaries with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman

Terroir (/t̪εʁwaʁ/ in French) (Spanish: terruño) was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that geography bestowed upon them. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom Tea refers to the cured agricultural product of the leaves leaf buds and internodes of Camellia sinensis, which have been prepared and cured for the market Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena It can be very loosely translated as "a sense of place" which is embodied in certain qualities, and the sum of the effects that the local environment has had on the manufacture of the product. Terroir is often italicized in English writing to show that it is a French loanword. A loanword (or loan word) is a word directly taken into one Language from another with little or no translation The concept of terroir is at the base of the French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system that has been model for appellation and wine laws across the globe. French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, on over 800000 Hectares (over 2 million Acres of Vineyards and in a typical Appellation d’origine contrôlée ( AOC) which translates as "controlled term of origin" is the French certification granted to certain French An appellation is a Geographical indication used to identify where the Grapes for a Wine were grown At its core is the assumption that the land from the which the grapes are grown imparts a unique quality that is specific to that region. The amount of influence and the scope that falls under the description of terroir has been a controversial topic in the wine industry. ^[1]

Origins

The concept of terroir developed through centuries of French winemaking based on observation of what made wines from different regions, vineyards or even different sections of the same vineyard so different from each other. The French began to crystallize the concept of terroir as a way of describing the unique aspects of a place that influences and shapes the wine made from it. ^[2] Long before the French, the winemaking regions of the ancient world already developed a concept of different regions having the potential to create very different and distinct wines, even from the same grapes. "Ancient" redirects here For other uses see Ancient_(disambiguation. The Ancient Greeks would stamp amphorae with the seal of the region they came from and soon different regions established reputations based on the quality of their wines. The influence of Ancient Greece on Wine is significant not only to the Greek wine industry but to the development of almost all European An amphora (plural amphorae or amphoras) is a type of Ceramic Vase with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body For most of its history, Burgundy was cultivated by the literate and disciplined members of the Benedictine and Cistercian orders. Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in With vast land holdings, the monks were able to conduct large scale observation of the influences that various parcels of land had on the wine it produced. Some legends have the monks going as far as "tasting" the soil. Over time the monks compiled their observations and began to establish the boundaries of different terroirs-many of which still exist today as the Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy. The origins of Burgundy 's Grand crus can be found in the work of the Cistercians who among their vast land holdings were able to delineate and isolate plots of land ^[3]

Elements of terroir

While the concept of terroir is not isolated to Burgundy, the examples of Burgundy wine from places like the Chablis premier cru Fourchaume are very terroir driven. The Chablis region is the northernmost Wine district of Burgundy, France.

While wine experts disagree as to the "exact" definition, a large focus is giving to the natural elements that are generally considered beyond the control of humans. Some of the components often described of terroir include:^[1]

• Climate
• Soil type
• Topography

The interaction of climate and terroir is generally broken down from the macroclimate of a larger area (For example, the Côte de Nuits region of Burgundy), down to the mesoclimate of a smaller subsection of that region (such as the village of Vosne-Romanée) and even to the individual microclimate of a particular vineyard or row or grapevines (like the Grand Cru vineyard of La Grande Rue). Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of In terms of Soil texture, soil type usually refers to the different sizes of Mineral particles in a particular sample Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets The Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Cote d'Or, the limestone ridge that is home to the great names of Burgundy wine Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Vosne-Romanée is a commune in the Côte de Nuits area of the Côte-d'Or department in Burgundy in eastern France A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the Climate differs from the surrounding area Vitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the Flowering plant family Vitaceae. The origins of Burgundy 's Grand crus can be found in the work of the Cistercians who among their vast land holdings were able to delineate and isolate plots of land La Grande Rue is a Grand cru Vineyard in the Burgundian village of Vosne-Romanée. The element of soil relates both to the composition and the intrinsic nature of the vineyard soils, such as fertility, drainage and ability to retain heat. The soil composition of vineyards is one of the most important viticultural consideration when planting grape vines Topography refers to the natural landscape features like mountains, valleys and bodies of water, which affect how the climate interacts with the region, and includes elements of aspect and altitude of the vineyard location. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is A body of water is any significant accumulation of Water, usually covering the Earth or another planet In Physical geography, aspect generally refers to the direction to which a Mountain slope faces Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data ^[1]

Human controlled elements

The definition of terroir can be expanded to include elements that are controlled or influenced by human decisions. This can include the decision of which grape variety to plant, though whether or not that grape variety will produce quality wine is an innate element of terroir that may be beyond human influence. Some grape varieties thrive better in certain areas than they do in others. This is a list of varieties of cultivated Grapes whether used for Wine, or eating as a Table grape, fresh or dried ( Raisin, currant, sultana The winemaking decision of using wild or ambient yeast in fermentation instead of cultured or laboratory produced yeast can be a reflection of terroir. Yeasts are a growth form of eukaryotic Microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with about 1500 Species currently described The process of fermentation in Wine is the Catalyst function that turns Grape juice into an Alcoholic beverage. The use of oak is a controversial element since some will advocate that its use is beneficial in bringing out the natural terroir characteristics while others will argue that its use can mask the influences of the terroir. The use of Oak in Wine plays a significant role in Winemaking and can have a profound effect on the resulting wine impacting the color flavor ^[1]

Influences of viticulture & winemaking

Many decisions during the growing and winemaking process can either downplay or enhance the expression of terroir in the wine. Viticulture (from the Latin word for Vine) is the Science, production and study of Grapes which deals with the series of Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of Wine, starting with selection of the Grapes and ending with bottling the finished wine These include decisions about pruning, irrigation and selecting time of harvest. For other uses of the term "Pruning" see Pruning (disambiguation. Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops The Harvesting of Wine Grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of Winemaking. At the winery the use of oak, cultured or ambient yeast, length of maceration and time in contact with lees, temperature during fermentation as well as processes like micro-oxygenation, chaptalization, clarification with fining agents, and reverse osmosis all have the potential to either downplay or emphasized some aspect derived from the terroir. The use of Oak in Wine plays a significant role in Winemaking and can have a profound effect on the resulting wine impacting the color flavor Maceration is the Winemaking process where the phenolic materials of the grape— Tannins, coloring agents ( Anthocyanins) and flavor compounds— Lees refers to deposits of dead Yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate or are carried by the action of " Fining " to the bottom of The process of fermentation in Wine is the Catalyst function that turns Grape juice into an Alcoholic beverage. Micro-oxygenation is a process used in Winemaking to introduce Oxygen into wine in a controlled manner Chaptalization is the process of adding Sugar to unfermented Grape Must in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation In newspapering a clarification is used to make a statement in a published story more clear Reverse osmosis (RO is a separation process that uses pressure to force a Solution through a membrane that retains the Solute on one side and allows the Winemakers can work between the extremes of producing wine that is terroir-driven and focused on purely expressing the unique aspects of a region terroir or winemaking that is done without any consideration given to terroir. Furthermore, it is possible to take into consideration certain terroir aspects like climate and soil type when making decisions such as which grape variety to plant with the goal of simply trying to make "good wine" rather than necessarily terroir-driven wine. ^[1]

The importances of this influences depends on the culture of a particular wine region. In France, particularly Burgundy, there is the belief that the role of winemaker is to bring out the expression of a wine's terroir rather. The French word for winemaker, vigneron is more aptly translated to "wine-grower" rather than winemaker. The belief that the terroir is the dominate influence in the wine is the basis behind French wine label emphasizing the region, vineyard or AOC more prominently on the label rather than the grape varietal and often more prominently than the producer. Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine Varietal describes Wines made primarily from a single named Grape variety. ^[4]

Appellation systems

The concept of terroir means that wines from a particular region are unique, incapable of being reproduced outside that area, even if the grape variety and winemaking techniques are painstakingly duplicated. Winemakers in Burgundy do not believe that they are producing Pinot noir that happens to be grown in Burgundy, but that they are producing unique Burgundian wines that happen to be made from Pinot noir. Pinot noir ('pino nwar is a red Wine Grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Burgundy wine ( is wine made in the Burgundy region in eastern France. Appellation systems, such as the French AOC systems, has developed around the concepts of "uniques wines from a unique area". These systems have also developed into Protected designation of origin across the European Union so that, for example, winemakers from outside a region like Tuscany can not produced a Sangiovese wine and call it a Chianti. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Toscana wine is Italian wine from the Tuscany region Located in central Italy along the Tyrrhenian coast, Tuscany is home to some of the world's Sangiovese is a Red wine Grape variety originating in Italy whose name derives from sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove " Chianti is a famous Red wine of Italy, which takes its name from a traditional region of Tuscany where it is produced While the wine maybe made from the same clonal variety of Sangiovese, in the same soil composition as what is found in the Chianti region with winemakers imitating the Tuscan method of production, there is a base assumption that the two wines will be intrinsically different due to the unreplicable elements of terroir. Cloning in Biology is the process of producing populations of genetically-identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as Bacteria, Insects The names of these European wine regions are protected so that wines from different regions and different terroir are not being confused with wines from that particular region-i. e. A Spanish or Australian "chianti". Spanish wines are wines produced in the southwestern European country of Spain. The Australian wine industry is the fourth-largest exporter in the world exporting over 400 million litres a year to a large international export market that includes "old world" In the United States there is some confusion over the use of semi-generic names like Champagne and Port but in recent years there has been more effort by the American wine industry to recognize the unique association of place names with the wines produced from those place, such as the 2005 Napa Declaration on Place agreement. American wine has been produced for over 300 years Today Wine production is performed in all fifty states with California leading the way in wine production followed Semi-generic is a legal term used in by the United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to refer to a specific type of Wine designation Champagne is a Sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle Secondary fermentation of Wine to effect Carbonation. Port wine (also known as Vinho do Porto, Oporto, Porto, and often simply Port) is a Portuguese, Fortified The Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin, commonly known as the Napa Declaration on Place, is a "declaration of joint principles stating the importance of location While appellation systems and the protected designations of origin can be a way of protecting "unique terroir", the commercial importance of terroir has been a much debated topic in the wine industry. ^[1]

Commercial interests

The importance of terroir, particularly to what extent it should influence the marketplace and pricing, is very much open to debate. Wine critics question the value of a Pinot noir wine proceeding from a Burgundy Grand Cru vineyard, relative to a wine produced from the "lesser terroir" of a Premier Cru vineyard, and whether it merits the higher price. First Growth (Premier Cru status refers to a classification of Wines primarily from the Bordeaux region of France These doubts also arise when the quality of winemaking and other human influences are taken into account, which may be of a higher standard with the "lesser" premier cru. From a broader perspective, critics question the difference between New World and Old World wine and whether modern winemaking techniques – like significant oak influences, over-ripened fruit, cultured yeast, micro-oxygenation, color pigment additives, etc – obscure or even eliminate the influence of terroir in making different regions unique and distinct from each other. New World wines are those Wines produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas of Europe, in particular from Argentina, Australia, Canada The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans Asians and Africans in the 15th century Critics often point to the "cookie-cutter" effect on mass-produced wines made from popular varietals like Chardonnay, which may have their terroir characteristics hidden through the use of invasive and intensive winemaking. Varietal describes Wines made primarily from a single named Grape variety. Chardonnay is a green-skinned Grape variety used to make white Wine. A heavily-oaked, over-ripe Chardonnay from California can taste very similar to the same style of wine from Chile, South Africa, Italy or Australia. California wine is Wine made in the US state of California. Nearly three-quarters the size of France, California accounts for nearly 90 Chilean wine is Wine made in the South American country of Chile. South African wine has a history dating back to 1659, and at one time Constantia was considered one of the greatest wines in the world Italian wine is Wine produced in Italy, a Country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world The Australian wine industry is the fourth-largest exporter in the world exporting over 400 million litres a year to a large international export market that includes "old world" The marketability of wines from different regions and producers is impacted by the importance accorded to terroir, both by the wine industry and consumer wine markets, with some producers downplaying terroir and its impact on their wines. ^[1]

Popular culture

The concept of terroir has been discussed in several films and television shows. Jonathan Nossiter's 2004 documentary Mondovino explores the globalization of the wine business, and features interviews with a number of small producers, mostly French, who expound on the concept of terroir. Award winning film director Jonathan Nossiter, son of Washington Post and New York Times foreign correspondent Bernard Nossiter, was born in the United Mondovino (World of Wine is a 2004 Documentary film on the impact of globalization on the world's different wine regions written and directed History Wine has been traded internationally since ancient times In the 2006 BBC series Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure, one episode is almost entirely devoted to Oz Clarke teaching James May the concept of terroir. Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure is a BBC television programme of which thus far there have been two series Oz Clarke (1949 -) is a British Wine writer and broadcaster Biography Oz Clarke was educated at a famous independent school The King's School Canterbury James Daniel May (born 16 January 1963 is a British Television presenter and award-winning Journalist. At the end of the episode, James successfully identifies three wines, placing them in the correct order on the basis of the quality of terroir they come from. Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht's 2007 documentary "All In This Tea" explores the importance of terroir and organic growing methods in both the quality and future sustainability of the Chinese tea market. Les Blank (b 27 November 1935, Tampa, Florida, United States) is an American documentary filmmaker best known All In This Tea is a 2007 documentary film co-directed by Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht about Chinese tea. Chinese tea consists of Tea leaves which have been processed using methods inherited from China. Terroir is also a frequent topic of discussion in the Japanese wine comic Les Gouttes de Dieu. is a popular Japanese Manga Comics series about Wine. It is created and written by Tadashi Agi, a pseudonym employed by creative team of The romantic comedy French Kiss also makes reference to terroir: Kevin Kline's character Luc introduces Kate - played by Meg Ryan - to the flavours and scents that can be found in the wine that mirror those found in the local terrain. A French kiss can refer to a style of kissing using the tongue Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24 1947 is an American Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and two time Tony Award -winning stage and film Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra (born November 19, 1961) professionally known as Meg Ryan, is a Golden Globe-nominated American film

See also

• Geographical indication
• Colombian coffee

References

Further reading

• Jacques Fanet "Great Wine Terroirs" University of California Press 2004 ISBN 0520238583
• Brian J. Sommers "The Geography of Wine: How Landscapes, Cultures, Terroir, and the Weather Make a Good Drop" Plume Publishing 2008 ISBN 0452288908
• Olivier Torres "The Wine Wars: The Mondavi Affair, Globalization and Terroir" Palgrave Macmillan Publishing 2006 ISBN 0230002102
• James E. Wilson "Terroir: The Role of Geology, Climate, and Culture in the Making of French Wines" University of California Press 1999 ISBN 0520219368

External links

• Terroir at morethanorganic.com
• Terroir revisited: towards a working definition at wineanorak.com
• Terroir-France What does terroir mean ?.