Defining Terroir & Malolactic Fermentation

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. On today's program, we are going to define a couple of misunderstood wine terms. Okay so here are a few of the terms we may hear or read when wine is being described or referenced. Let's start with the word terroir. Terroir is a term that describes a concept of place and where the grapes are grown. It addresses the characteristics and the environment within the vineyard. Characteristics such as the type of soil, the varying temperatures of the vineyard site, its aspect to the sun and the amount of sunlight the site receives, as well as the movement of the air and wind through the vineyard site. The belief is these and other things like it are affecting the flavor and quality of the fruit and can be identified in the wine. The next misunderstood term is malo-lactic fermentation. The term is referencing a process in winemaking when the malic acids in the fermented grape juice are converted to a softer type of acid called lactic acid. Malic acids are the tart sort of granny smith type of acids, whereas lactic acid, as the word implies, is a softer acid like the ones in cheese yogurt and milk. So there you have it now you have a little idea what terroir and malo-lactic fermentation are all about. And thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.