terroir

[ter-wahr; French ter-war]

noun

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.
Also called goût de ter·roir [goo duh ter-wahr; gooduh ter-war] /ˈgu də tɛrˈwɑr; gudə tɛrˈwar/. the unique flavor and aroma of a wine that is attributed to the growing environment of the grapes.
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.

Origin of terroir

< French: literally, ‘soil, land’

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for terroir

Contemporary Examples of terroir

So I was happy to see that the European theory of terroir was in action, promoting with pride the qualities of a specific region.
Beer Countries vs. Wine Countries
Clive Irving
December 7, 2014
These are the standard selling points of the craft-distilling movement, with its locavore lingo, terroir talk, and handmade hype.
Your ‘Craft’ Rye Whiskey Is Probably From a Factory Distillery in Indiana
Eric Felten
July 28, 2014
Yes, cheeses can have terroir just as wine can, but when it comes to cheese, regionality is oftentimes overlooked.
Elegy to Italian Cheese
Jesse Dart
May 21, 2011
But the real identity of these cheeses lies not in their names, but in the terroir, in their origin.
Elegy to Italian Cheese
Jesse Dart
May 21, 2011
The methods of production used in the U.S., although correct, abandon the entire idea of terroir and regionality.
Elegy to Italian Cheese
Jesse Dart
May 21, 2011

British Dictionary definitions for terroir

terroir

noun

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

Word Origin for terroir

literally: soil

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012