terroir

American  

[ter-wahr, ter-war] / tɛrˈwɑr, tɛrˈwar /

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.

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terroir British  

/ tɛrwar /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of terroir

From French: literally, “soil, land”

Example Sentences

He produces taut, minerally whites with grapes sourced from all over the storied Burgundy subregion of Chablis, from entry-level bottles like this Terroir de Chablis to his grand-cru offerings from vineyards like Bougros and Les Clos.

From The Wall Street Journal

Yet it is one measure of Chillida’s achievement that he evokes his native terroir through the most advanced aesthetic ideas of his time.

From The Wall Street Journal

“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.

From 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.

From Barron's

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

From The Wall Street Journal