Is This Wine Terroir-ible?

Did you know that weather and dirt can affect how wine tastes? The environment that a wine grape is cultivated in especially the soil, climate, and geography plays a huge role in how the final wine will taste.

Wine grapes from warmer regions tend to produce grapes with higher sugar levels, which in turn can produce wines with higher alcohol levels and wines from cooler climates tend to be lower alcohol and higher acidity. While there are hundreds of types of soil types, most vineyard soil can be sorted into about 6 categories. Each type offers different properties which can affect the amount of water and heat the vines receive.

How high is too high? Geography and altitude can play a role in how a wine tastes, impacting access to water, soil types, and temperature.

This weekend, host a tasking of un-oaked Chardonnay Blends made in different styles—Sonoma, Burgundy, and Australian. Can you taste a difference? Does Sonoma taste a bit smoky to you? How does the arid climate of western Australia affect the taste?

The more you know.