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

Meadows says no one has deciphered why the vineyard produces such exquisite wines, but it is some combination of terroir, or environment, as well as 2,000 years of trial and error by the region’s winemakers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

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

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

“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 • Oct. 3, 2025

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

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2025

Elle est dans un terroir fertile, abondant en toutes sortes de denreés.

From The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 10 Asia, Part III by Hakluyt, Richard