The role of terroir in winemaking

The notion of terroir

In France, the word "terroir" is frequently applied to food and drink, yet it is a difficult word to translate into English. It describes something that is local, authentic, and typical of its region, a product of the soil of a particular place.

When food is described as "de terroir", it means it is a local speciality, prepared with locally grown ingredients, which would not taste the same elsewhere. A wine "de terroir" is typical of its region and more influenced by its environment than by the grape varieties used - wine made with the same grape types but grown in a different place would not taste the same. This effect is mainly provided by the climate and the soil. The Languedoc wines that Pic Wines offers, and particularly the reds, are terroir wines. You can taste the terroir in your glass, the sunshine and the sea breezes, the aromatic plants growing at the side of the vineyards and the olives across the way. So how does this happen?

The Coteaux du Languedoc area can be divided into a number of different types of terroir, each with their own character due to their particular soil/climate combination. Pic Wines enables you to search the Coteaux du Languedoc wines by these terroirs, which we have translated as regions. In this article, we try to give you some idea of how the wines of these various regions differ from one another, and why, though of course each wine we offer has its own unique character.

The impact of climate

All plants need sun, so their leaves can make sugars by photosynthesis. The Languedoc region is on the Mediterranean, and benefits from 300 days of sun a year, so the plants photosynthesise more, making more sugars. Sugary grape juice means more alcohol on fermentation, more glycerol (which gives a thick unctuous quality to wine) and more aromatic molecules. No thin watery wines here.

High levels of sunlight and heat early in the growing season also promote early ripening of the grapes, so they can be picked at an ideal state of full maturity before the bad weather comes. There will be no underripe grapes to give a green, harsh taste to the wine, which will taste ripe and fruity. If the grapes have to be left a little longer to finish their ripening, they risk exposure to wet autumn weather that favours moulds or to heavy rainfall that can damage the soft ripe grapes.