Term
Terroir
tehr-WAHR
Place, in a glass
The French idea that soil, climate, aspect, and human tradition can be tasted. Not mysticism — and not a guarantee that a vineyard name makes the wine good.
Terroir is why Chablis tastes of limestone and lemon while Napa Chardonnay tastes of sun and orchard, even when the grape is the same. Slope, drainage, diurnal range, and bedrock all change ripening, acid, and aroma precursors.
It is also cultural: how people prune, pick, and vinify is part of the place. A heavy hand in the cellar can erase terroir; a lazy one can fail to express it.
Use the word when you mean a wine tastes of somewhere. Do not use it as a force field against criticism.
