Vineyard Soil

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today we are answering a question from the email. A listener wrote to ask since some people give credit to a vineyard on the bottle, what does the soil have to do with how well the vineyard grows?

You may have heard it said that the worse the soil the better the wine. It is often debated as to whether the nature of the soil really has that much to do with the resulting wine. Most of the Old World believes that it is essential and a vital part of the wine; where often in the New World its role is minimized. But what we do know is that vinifera or wine grapes have a need for very well-drained soil. It is important that the soil retains moisture but doesn’t become waterlogged. Rocky, gravel and sandy soils retain heat and promote good drainage, which speeds up ripening. Rocks and gravel will absorb heat during the day and will radiate it back into the vineyard at night, which is a great advantage in cooler climates or cooler vineyard locations. Sloping vineyard property may also provide more concentrated sunlight and good drainage as a bonus. However, altitude affects the vineyard and if it is too high the cooler temperatures will cause the grapes to take longer to ripen. Sometimes the nature of the soil is apparent in the finished wine and you may actually recognize an earthy or mineral like quality that is reminiscent of the vineyard. You may find it interesting to join a vineyard tour and then taste some of the differences in wines made by different winemakers with grapes that same vineyard.  And thanks for joining us on today’s Vine to Wine.