What natural factors influence wine?

How Green and Herbaceous Can a Sauvignon Blanc Be on Certain Terroirs, and How Bright with Citrus and Exotic Fruit Notes on Great Terroirs?

What Are the Natural Factors That Influence Wine?

Have you ever noticed how a Mediterranean wine can "smell like sunshine"? Or how a Sauvignon Blanc can be green and herbaceous on some terroirs, yet bursting with citrus and exotic fruit notes on others? Or even the stark differences between a good and a bad vintage?

Wine is a product deeply connected to the terroir and nature. This prolific relationship shapes wine to reflect its environment: rich, varied, and complex. It's an oenological journey through time and terroirs for those who can identify the influences of natural factors on the taste of our favorite beverage.

If sommeliers spend considerable time learning about different grape varieties, terroirs, and vintages, it's because each grape's characteristics offer radically different bouquets depending on the soil and climate.

The Grape Variety

The first natural element that impacts the taste of wine is the grape variety. The grape variety is simply the type of grapes used. These grapes adapt more or less easily to different terroirs. For instance, Malbec thrives in Argentina but is absent in New Zealand. Grenache is cultivated in Mediterranean climates but not in northern France.

The variety influences the taste due to its tannin content and varietal and evolving aromas. In wine, aromas originate from the berry (specifically the skin and pulp), the vinification process through yeast action, and the aging aromas. Therefore, each grape variety will give a different result!

However, where wine gains its complexity and interest is that the same grape variety can offer a wide range of possibilities across different regions and times, thanks to climate and terroir.

The Climate

Climate is responsible for the "vintage effect." A good vintage is a year where the conditions of sunlight, rainfall, and temperatures are optimal.

Sunlight provides the grape with its sugar content by converting solar rays into sugar through the starch in the vine leaves. If there's too much sunlight, the grape will be overly sweet, resulting in a wine that's high in alcohol and low in acidity. Conversely, if there's too little sunlight, the grape will produce a wine that's acidic and low in alcohol. Ideally, there should be enough sunlight to ensure a good sugar level and structuring acidity.

Rain is necessary for the vine and affects the quantity and quality of grape clusters. If rainfall is too low, the grapes will be smaller and less juicy. On the other hand, excessive rainfall increases the risk of disease and can dilute the juice too much.

Lastly, the warmth from the sun is necessary to prevent winter frost and nourish the grapes in summer. However, excessive heat can scorch the leaves and promote vine diseases. Once again, the ideal condition lies in a balanced climate.

The Soil

The typicity of the soil plays a crucial role as it is essentially the feeding ground for the vine. Like humans, the vine is what it consumes! The acidity, minerality, richness or poverty in organic components, soil depth, and type significantly impact the taste of the wine.

Soil is a composition of earth, rocks, and living (worms, fungi, etc.) or decomposing organisms. Air cavities and water move within these elements. Water interacts with this environment, enriching itself with present minerals to nourish the vine.

There are numerous soil types, each providing a particular profile of nutrition and drainage. The thinner and rockier the soil, the more limited the water and mineral supply to the vine, which is advantageous in a humid climate. Conversely, deeper soils retain more water and minerals, ideal for a drier climate.

This is one reason behind the hillside effect. Vines often thrive on hillsides for a reason! Sun exposure is better, and rainwater runs off to the plains, preventing stagnation.

Many soils are particularly renowned: clay in Bordeaux is known for its coolness, silica for its nutritional contribution, limestone for its filtering properties, etc. There are as many wines and possibilities as there are soils!

FAQ - Natural factors in wine

What is terroir in winemaking?

Terroir refers to all the natural conditions in which the vine grows: the type of soil, the climate, the grape variety and the exposure. It is their combination that gives each wine its own rich and complex character.

How does soil influence the taste of wine?

Soil is the vine's feeding ground. Its acidity, minerality, richness in organic matter, depth and type all shape the taste. A thin, rocky soil limits water and mineral supply, while a deep soil retains more water and minerals.

What is the vintage effect?

The vintage effect reflects the climate's influence in a given year. A good vintage combines optimal sunlight, rainfall and temperatures. Too much sun produces a wine high in alcohol and low in acidity, while too little makes it acidic and light.

Why does the same grape variety produce different wines?

The grape variety sets the tannin level and base aromas, but climate and soil shape the final result. The same variety can therefore express a very wide range of possibilities depending on the terroir where it grows and on the vintage.

Why do vines thrive on hillsides?

This is the hillside effect: on a slope, sun exposure is better and rainwater runs off toward the plain instead of stagnating around the roots. The vine benefits from good sunlight and natural drainage.