I remember when someone first told me the meaning of the word terroir. I thought that it was a way to explain the difference between wine A and wine B. It was a way to find a descriptor that was more revealing than “it’s a red wine that tastes like jam”. As I learned and studied more about winemaking and how the grapes are grown and made into wine, I began to see and taste very distinct and endlessly interesting things. Think about goat cheese…one goat cheese can taste completely different from another goat cheese depending on where the goat is in the world and what the goat has eaten. So, grapes are similar, in a way.

The same varietal of grape can grow in two separate vineyards right next to each other, but the grapes take on the distinct attributes of the land and soil they are growing in and may taste different from each other. Specifically, when they are pressed and made into wine. Weird, I know. This is called terroir. It is defined as the characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a wine by the environment in which it is produced. There are 4 major traits when talking about terroir: Climate (cool or warm), Soil, Terrain (coastal, mountains, plant-life, etc.) plus Technique or Tradition of winemaking. Some of the best examples of terroir are in the Old World wines of France where they say, “wine is made in the vineyard”. This simple sentence says it all! The taste, smell, and essence of the wine are in the climate, soil, and environment in which the grapes are grown. It’s organic, it’s natural and it’s unique to a plot of land at a specific point in time. I was amazed by this whole concept of terroir! It helped me to understand more about what I was tasting in the wine and why. It was a game-changer for me.

I began tasting many wines from the same areas (country, county, vineyard) and compared them side by side, it was truly amazing how different they were in taste and scent. Some of them had subtle differences and some were distinct. Obviously, the winemaker added their particular talent and magic in the winery, but a good majority has to do with the basic terroir. The juice from the grapes has a profile all its own from vineyard to vineyard and the winemaker creates wine by taking all of it together and creating a wine with special character and uniqueness. That is the essence of winemaking.

Try a tasting, see if you can sense the differences yourself. Taste 2-3 wines (either red or white) from vineyards in the same area. For example, 3 Pinot Noirs from Dundee, Oregon. See if you can taste any subtle or maybe even blatant differences. It will surprise and delight you! I find wine tasting completely fascinating. Every wine is different; vineyard to vineyard, year to year and it has to do, in part, with the climate and the environment at that particular moment in time. The Terroir!

Try it and let me know what you learn. I hope you have the same experience that I did. It could open up a whole new world when you drink wine. As I taste the wine, I personally like to close my eyes and visualize the vineyard, the weather…the terroir. It creates the whole picture in one sip.

Cheers!