terroir
Americannoun
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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.
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Also called goût de terroir. the unique flavor and aroma of a wine that is attributed to the growing environment of the grapes.
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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.
noun
Etymology
Origin of terroir
From French: literally, “soil, land”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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 • Dec. 13, 2025
"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
But not all wines have to be terroir wines, and there's room for wines like this.
From BBC • Jan. 24, 2025
Autumn actually serves as a prime time to experience the terroir of cheese, as varieties made from spring milk and then aged begin to grace store shelves, though not necessarily at Big Box grocers.
From Salon • Oct. 3, 2024
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
