Terroir and appellation: what you need to know
Both terroir and appellation are words of French origin that are widely used in European winemaking. And if the connoisseurs of the drink at least vaguely grasp the difference, then for the average person it is not so obvious.
What is terroir
Terroir (from French. terre - land) - terroir is a set of specific local winemaking factors that determine the bouquet and potential of a drink. Includes soil characteristics, climate, terrain, and site location that give the wine its recognizable character.
These include: the number of sunny days, high rainfall, altitude, steepness of slopes, wind strength, temperature changes and much more. That is, it is a kind of list of regional parameters or, figuratively speaking, a "special atmosphere" that surrounds wine from the moment of planting the vine to the sale of the finished drink.
The task of the winemaker is not to interfere with the terroir to create products with a unique bouquet.
What is an appellation?
Appellation (from the French. appellation - name, designation) - is a territory with clearly defined borders, where grapes of certain varieties are grown and wine with certain properties is made.
This is a huge plot of land (up to several thousand hectares), united on the basis of a similar terroir. The law dividing French vineyards into appellations was issued in 1935, although the concept appeared much earlier. The work on describing and controlling the requirements for each region is carried out by the National Institute of Appellations of Origin (INAO).
He issues a special decree that specifies the following: appellation boundaries, wine production technology, wine category, color, alcohol content, varieties used, and other characteristics. Beverage producers must strictly adhere to these parameters in order to be authorized to label a particular appellation.
Other European countries adopted a similar system, resulting in a common EU wine classification system. In each country, it is called differently, but the same principle is at the heart of it.
All wines are divided into categories
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Top quality - controlled by name and origin.
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High quality - controlled by origin.
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Regional - produced in a certain area from local varieties.
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Table wines - no requirements for the place of cultivation and type of raw materials.
Update: 11.06.2020
Category: Wine and Vermouth