Wine is one of the world’s oldest and most widely loved drinks. Sometimes it’s considered an elegant drink, an experience, or a cheap way to have fun with loved ones or friends. Wine has such a wide appeal because it’s equally as adaptable and versatile, with countless factors influencing the taste and texture that people enjoy. One of the main factors is terrain, something that even wine tasters and connoisseurs may not have realized. The key to producing great wine is having a suitable terrain for it. Keep reading to find out all the ways terrain influences your favorite drinks.
Climate
The climate is one of the main considerations winemakers make when growing grapes. Depending on where you are, the climate can vary greatly, but even slight changes in the weather can affect the taste of the grapes in the end. This includes cooler climates causing a greater buildup of acidity in grapes, leading to more sour and delicate flavors, and warmer climates creating full-bodied wines. The balance between sugar accumulation and acidity in grapes, a vital step of the fermentation process, depends almost entirely on the climate the grapes are in and could change the entire taste of the wine produced.
Altitude
Another important way terrain affects the wine winemakers can produce based on the altitude. The most obvious reason is that the higher you go, the thinner the atmosphere, resulting in cooler temperatures. As previously discussed, this will lead to higher acidity in grapes, which consumers can taste in the finished product. In addition, the thinner atmosphere provides less oxygen to the grapes, resulting in slower growth and ripening. Wine made from grapes grown at a high altitude has intense aromas, vibrant acidity, and other unique qualities.
Soil composition
There are countless types of soil that winemakers use to grow their grapes. The most popular ones include limestone, clay, gravel, and volcanic. These soils have unique properties, including how water and air impact them, leading to variable nutrient availability and root penetration. Root penetration and nutrient availability are vital for grapes that need these things to survive and thrive. In some cases, grapes that grow in nutrient-poor soil have unique flavors. Minerals from each soil type can be absorbed into the grapes, something that wine tasters have been able to notice in the flavor of the wine.
Slope
Vineyards have long been built in scenic areas where the climate is suitable for the growth of grapes. In many of these areas, there are slopes, and the angle and trajectory of these slopes often define the characteristics of the grapes growing on them. South-facing slopes meet the sun’s angle more frequently, and more consistent sunlight means that more grapes will ripen quickly, leading to a high yield of wine. North-facing slopes will get comparatively less sunlight, so the grapes won’t be able to ripen as quickly, leading to a lighter yield but, in some cases, a richer taste.
Microclimates
Microclimates are a complex and technical principle that only the best winemakers can harness. Within a vineyard, depending on the breeze, sun, slope, and all the other factors mentioned in this list, microclimates can form, creating a suitable environment for different varieties of grapes within the same area. This leads to more types of grapes and wine and a greater difference in flavor, which is how winemakers innovate and produce greater, fuller drinks. If you’re looking for a provider that has wines utilizing this technique, you can use Sommsation to find more resources.
Conclusion
Terrain is an important consideration for countless things like transport, communications, infrastructure, and so on. However, it has a far greater impact than people understand, from everything from wildlife, housing, entertainment, and food and drink. You won’t be able to replicate the taste and texture of your favorite wine until you know the terrain in which it’s produced, and understanding this vital component will help you become a better wine taster and maker. Using the information in this article and some more research of your own, you’ll unlock a whole aspect of winemaking that you didn’t know ever existed.