The ‘Terroir’ represents the complete surrounding of a vineyard. The better the terroir is, the better the quality of grapes you will get – and directly the better potential to make great wines. It encompasses many elements but there are 3 main ones:
Type of soil
Vines need to have a tough life to grow good quality grapes. If the soil is too good, the vines will become ‘lazy’ and produce lower quality grapes. The best soils are porous (if the water goes deep into the soil, the vine will have roots going deeper to find it, becoming stronger) and have sufficient elements to add specificity to the grapes.
Location
The geography of the environment is important too. The best vineyards are usually situated on slopes or even hillside. Flat lands have more tendency to retain water, when on hillsides, the water will simply roll down the hill, leaving to the vines just enough. Slopes have also better exposure to the sun.
Weather
Vines need water & sun but not too much. The balance must be perfect to arrive at the upmost condition for the vines. Too much rain will cause overproduction of grapes; Not enough will cause a drought, and the production may be uneven and low. Some countries allow irrigation but it is mostly forbidden in Europe for the higher classification wines.
Areas combining the best of each element may have potential to produce higher quality grapes. It is the job of the winemaker to help reflect that in the wine.
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