{"id":20087,"date":"2021-08-10T11:20:07","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T10:20:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vinispi.com\/understanding-the-impact-of-soil-on-wine-production\/"},"modified":"2024-04-09T09:24:59","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T08:24:59","slug":"understanding-the-impact-of-soil-on-wine-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vinispi.com\/en\/understanding-the-impact-of-soil-on-wine-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the impact of soil on wine production"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image source=&#8221;featured_image&#8221; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1587119329817{border-radius: 5px !important;}&#8221; el_class=&#8221;border-round&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243; disable_custom_paddings_tablet=&#8221;true&#8221; disable_custom_paddings_mobile=&#8221;true&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1587718178266{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 80px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>Contents<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text]            <div id=\"shortcode_index_title\">\n                <div id=\"shortcode_index_titles\" style=\"display:none\">\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text el_class=&#8221;block-text&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Wine, a unique beverage<\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What makes a wine unique? Why are there hundreds of thousands, if not more, of wines, all with different colours, aromas and properties? Even within a single vineyard, from one plot to the next, from one year to the next, no two cuv\u00e9es are identical. Yet there are only 4 variables that explain this:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The climate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The floor<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The grape variety<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The winemaker&#8217;s know-how.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These four variables are what define a terroir, a soil that produces a homogeneous whole at the origin of a unique wine.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<h2>Soil, an essential element of terroir<\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, we&#8217;re going to focus on soils and their impact on the wines we produce. The soil is an essential part of the terroir, as the vines plant their roots in it and draw their energy from it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&#8217;s take a general look at soils: they are the geological structure, the bedrock hidden deep beneath the vines. There are three types:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Magmatic rocks are formed by the cooling of magma, either at the surface (volcanic rocks) or at depth (plutonic rocks). Granite, for example, is a volcanic rock.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sedimentary rocks are formed by the sedimentation over time of minerals, organic matter or other rocks. Limestone, clay, sandstone, marl, sand and their mixtures are sedimentary rocks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Metamorphic rocks result from the pressure exerted on magmatic rocks (e.g. gneiss) and sedimentary rocks (e.g. schists, better known as slate).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The taste of a wine depends on the texture of the soil, its chemical composition and its ability to filter and retain water or heat.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No soil is perfect for making wine. But if there were such a thing, it would be a soil made up of a layer of fine earth and a mineral-rich subsoil into which the roots can sink. If the vines are soaked in water, the development of diseases is favored: the subsoil must therefore be drained, but the rock must also be able to retain water so that the roots can reach it deep down.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<h2>Soil and vines<\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To understand how soil affects the taste of wine, we need to understand the interactions between soil and vine. To grow, vines first need water, which they obtain by planting their roots 15 meters deep. The more the soil retains water and lets the roots penetrate, the more the vines can integrate into it and feed on nutrients as they go.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vines need nutrients as well as water to grow. The following nutrients are selected:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soil and surface organic matter.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nitrogen, derived from the degradation of organic matter, is used to produce green matter for plants.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minerals (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.). Potassium, for example, contributes to sap production.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trace elements (iron, copper, zinc, manganese, boron, etc.). Iron, for example, is essential for photosynthesis.  <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, two wines made from the same grape variety and grown under the same climatic conditions will not have the same aromas if they have not been grown on the same soils.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take Burgundy and Oregon, for example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Drouhin family, a great name in Pinot Noir in Burgundy, owns Pinot Noir vines in Burgundy and Oregon. These two regions with the same climate and vines of the same grape variety could be expected to produce wines with the same characteristics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the volcanic subsoils of the Willamette valley are totally different from the clay-limestone subsoils of Burgundy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"title-h2\"><\/h2>\n<h2>Some well-known soils and their characteristics<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Limestone<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\nCovered by seas millions of years ago, the limestone soils that make up our vineyards today have been shaped by the activity of marine creatures, the slow fossilization of their shells and complex chemical reactions. Today, these soils form some of the finest vineyards in France. There are three major qualities that make up these great wines:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drainage of the water stress that vines need to perform at their best.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Texture that allows roots to penetrate deep into the soil, providing rich nutrients that fuel the aromatic complexity of wines.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A chemical structure that favors the acidity of the wines produced (freshness on the palate and balances the alcohol to make a wine for ageing).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These soils are home to the vineyards of Burgundy, Chablis, Champagne and Saint-Emilion. Tuffeau, a soft, porous limestone, is the perfect host for Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc in the Loire region.  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surprisingly, these 100% limestone soils are found almost exclusively in France.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Clay-limestone soils<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\nRich and fine-grained, clay retains and is very often mixed with limestone to form a clay-limestone soil. It is also a cold rock that delays grape ripening. This soil is known for producing powerful, colorful wines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clay-limestone soils are found all over the world and are ideal for Merlot in Pomerol, France. In the rest of the world, it is used to produce Tempranillo (Spain in the Rioja and Ribera del Douero vineyards) or Sangiovese in Italy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Granitic territories<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\nGranitic soils are made up of hard, fissured rock at depth, with a sandy structure on the surface. They have three characteristics:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ability to radiate heat during the day and then lower the temperature at night, which helps berries ripen while preserving their acidity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The disintegration of the parent rock releases minerals that are found in the wines produced.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cracks and the bedrock&#8217;s low water retention capacity force roots to penetrate deep into the soil.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Beaujolais, these soils produce rather mineral wines made from Gamay grapes. Syrah is also found in the Rh\u00f4ne Valley, as are certain Alsatian grape varieties, and even in the vineyards of South Africa, where these soils have made the reputation of Stellenbosch Pinotage (Pinotage is a South African grape variety).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>The bass<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\nCharacterized by the many pebbles brought in by rivers, gravel has the ability to store heat during the day and release it to the vines at night. These soils are therefore ideal for late-ripening grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. They also made the reputation of the left bank of the Bordeaux region, to which they gave the name &#8220;les Graves&#8221;.  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Photo : Gabriel Jimenez \/ Unsplash[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_empty_space][vc_empty_space]<div class=\"round-link-container\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vinispi.com\/en\/sujet\/good-to-know\/\" rel=\"tag\">#Good to know<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vinispi.com\/en\/sujet\/terroir-en\/\" rel=\"tag\">#Terroir<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vinispi.com\/en\/sujet\/vine\/\" rel=\"tag\">#Vine<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vinispi.com\/en\/sujet\/vineyard\/\" rel=\"tag\">#Vineyard<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vinispi.com\/en\/sujet\/wine-en-2\/\" rel=\"tag\">#Wine<\/a><\/div>[vc_empty_space]Array[vc_empty_space][vc_empty_space]<div class='shortcode-x-offerts'><div class='shortcode-x-offers-block'><strong>10 \u20ac offerts sur votre premi\u00e8re commande !<\/strong><div>Achetez vos vins en vente priv\u00e9e sur Twil. 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