What does terroir mean, how does soil shape a wine, and what do DOC and AOC stand for? Here we explain the ideas that help you understand the wines from our independent producers, one at a time.
Terroir is everything about a place that shapes a wine: the soil, the climate, the site and the people who farm it. That is why the same grape can make very different wines depending on where it grows, such as Pinot Noir from Burgundy compared with Pinot Noir from South Tyrol.
Read about TerroirSoil is the ground a vine grows in, such as limestone, clay, gravel, sand, slate, granite or volcanic soil. It controls how much water and nutrients the vine gets and how warm the ground becomes, which is why the same grape can make different wines on different soils.
Read about Soil typesA wine classification is a set of rules that shows where a wine comes from and which rules the winemaker has followed. The abbreviation on the label says more about origin than about how good the wine is.
Read about Wine classificationsThe colour of a wine comes from the grape skins. How much colour a wine takes on depends on the grape, on how long the skins stay in contact with the juice and on how old the wine is. So one look at the glass can tell you a lot about the style before you smell or taste it.
Read about Wine colour