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

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

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

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

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Maxime who works for his family's celebrated Rhone-based wine company Chapoutier, say that while he respects France's focus on terroir, there should be room for global blends to also be sold.

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"Chapoutier has been making wine for more than 200 years, very terroir driven, and biodynamic," he says.

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