Wine Articles | The importance of Terroir in French vineyards

How many times before choosing a bottle of French wine have you wished you had a wine encyclopaedia with you to decode the label? The terminology alone could cause a terrible headache before even opening the bottle!

Knowing the “Terroir” will definitely help you understand the wine, as well as the region and traditions of where it is produced but what is it exactly.

The Terroir is not only a geographical area in a wine region; it also comprises certain criteria that will define the origin and typical characteristic of a wine. The soil, the climate, the choice of grape and winemaking tradition of each region is all vital elements that will define a terroir.

The concept of terroir is not really new, or even dare I say, French...The Greeks were already stamping their Amphorae with the name of the region or wine, resulting in certain ones being recognised as quality wines and exported all over the ancient world.


The French concept of terroirs has been validated by the introduction of the Appellation d’Origine( 1919).

It determines not only the area where the wine comes from but also an idea of the quality. Briefly, there are 3 types of French wines, the “vins de Table Francais”, made from wine from all over the country and often found in plastic bottle, the “vins de Pays”, coming from a specific region, and finally the “appellation d’Origine Controllee” or AOC producing the best quality wines.

The INAO (Institute National des Appellations d’Origine des Viens et des eaux de vie), is the body responsible for categorising all French wines with an appellation d’Origine. The INAO identify the terroir of each region and ensure a certain set of criteria is met. This includes identification of the soil, the grapes used, the winemaking methods and the quantity of wines that is allowed to be produced from the harvest, as well as determining the minimum volume of alcohol.

Such red tape and control may seem typically French, and for most part of it I would agree, however in this case it is all for a good cause. Not only do we get to enjoy some superb wines but, more importantly, with a direct control of the quality of the wines produced, there is a reassuring certainty that the identity and tradition of each terroir will remain unchanged.

July, 20th by Alex Barrau