terroir

[ter-wahr, ter-war]

noun

1. the environmental conditions, especially soil and climate, in which grapes are grown and that give a wine its unique flavor and aroma.

   the high quality of the region’s terroir.

2. Also called goût de terroir. the unique flavor and aroma of a wine that is attributed to the growing environment of the grapes.

3. the conditions in which a food is grown or produced and that give the food its unique characteristics.

   grass-fed beef with an Idaho terroir.

terroir

/ tɛrwar /

noun

1. winemaking the combination of factors, including soil, climate, and environment, that gives a wine its distinctive character

Word History and Origins

Origin of terroir¹

From French: literally, “soil, land”

Word History and Origins

Origin of terroir¹

literally: soil

Example Sentences

“Fine cider is not that,” said Kari Williams, the owner and head cidermaker at Snow Capped Cider in Cedaredge, Colo. The high-elevation cidery uses estate-grown heirloom apples like Dabinett to make single-varietal ciders with singular terroir.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"Cheese must reflect its terroir; it must be balanced in terms of taste, aroma and flavour," said French judge Laurent Dubois.

Read more on Barron's

“We’ve had to focus on being unique instead of big. Luckily, we have interesting terroir to make that possible.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Matcha is very personal to the traditional Japanese farmers, like wine it has a sort of terroir.

Read more on Salon

The Thai team prides itself on being single-origin specialists, showcasing each region’s unique cocoa terroir.

Read more on Salon