Terroir

Terroir

Coined in France and is also largely internalized notion of the influence of Origin , Climate and soil type in conjunction with the planted grape wine and local culture on the special and distinctive characteristics of the wine that grows there. This can only inadequately be translated to the environment, but it means much more. The art of the winemaker plays a significant role in this at the Winemaking on the particular features of the vineyard takes into consideration. A very good definition of it comes from the famous French wine-grower and winemaker in Saint-Estèphe Bruno Bruno Prats : The French concept of terroir totally captures all the natural conditions, the biology of the vine and thus influence the composition of the grape itself. Terroir is the combination of climate, soil and landscape, the interaction of an infinite number of factors: night and day temperatures, rainfall distribution, sunshine hours, slope and soil permeability, just to name a few. All these factors interact to form in each part of a vineyard, what French call the terroir wine.

Since the Middle Ages, who employed Cistercian experimentally in France with the interplay of all these components. The concept of terroir was first coined, but in the late 1920s. One of the pioneers of these ideas was the estate owner Baron Pierre Le Roy de Pierre Boiseaumarié (1890-1967). This described in the 1920s, the ideal grape for red wine the range of Chateauneuf-du-Pape on the basis of the typical soil and climate, and for a defined geographical area. This was then officially classified in 1935 as an appellation. Further impetus to the agriculture professor was Joseph Capus, Joseph (1868-1947), the godfather of the Baron as appellate law, and in 1935 founded the predecessor organization INAO applies. The concept of terroir in France is closely related to the origin system Appellation d'Origine protégée and also with the term Grand Cru , the classification of wines, wineries and locations.

Terroir is no clear and generally understood the same term that can be defined objectively measurable criteria. By renowned book-writers, journalists and wine-growers is interpreted very differently. On the one hand terroir as the sum of all natural and additionally by man introduced cultural parameters such as pruning , training system or tillage described that make up the unique identity. This means that not only the specific environmental conditions in the vineyard, but also the vineyard and cellar work are as specified on generations of knowledge and cultural heritage of the vintner to do so. In contrast, however, claims by others that the terroir-determining components are mainly determined by the nature, little influenced by humans are subject to change and not by different vinification techniques. As a summary we can say that there is no scientific evidence that terroir is more than "just" a layer or area characteristics. The idea of ​​terroir is also seen in part as a highly philosophical and mystical approach rocked with some real background. Nevertheless, there are efforts outside France, the "terroir" philosophy of a protected designation of origin beyond understanding. Overseas, it was the term Regionality marked.

What influence has now in fact the soil type on the character of the wine? The National Training and Research Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture Vineyard published on the subject on its website as follows (the citation with the kind permission of the authors, Dr. Dietmar Rupp): The concept of "terroir", are grouped under the selected plots (appellations) with similar soil and microclimate, is clearly influenced pedological . The German wine law, however, united in a "situation" that plots "are apt to be made equivalent wines of similar tastes," from their income. In France, the customer base within the viticultural research has a great tradition. For local soil scientist has every geological formation for each species in a circumscribed area of ​​its "optimum point" and adjacent areas are subordinate to it. In Burgundy, were developed for specific appellations even a "topo-pedological Qualtitätsindex" (topo = place = pedological soil science on).

This quality measure is combined slope, stoniness, rooting depth, carbonate content, clay content, as well as to the amount of exchangeable Potassium . This could be assigned to the famous Grand Crus higher quality than those numbers less valuable vineyards in the appellation Bourgogne or Village. Whether in fact the wine shelves and their locations Origin assign them wanted to test German researchers in the 1970s with radiometric methods. They compared the trace element patterns of wines and associated soils. Were only detectable effects of Year and the Grape , a location-allocation was not possible. However, while expansion of the wine by filtration or fine displacements within the trace levels can not be excluded. This demonstrates the dominant influence of the wine making process and then applied (end quote). Optimal conditions of climate , Weather and soil type way, meet the criteria of Weinbauwürdigkeit .