French loves to use words they are the only one to understand… You will hear a lot about “Le terroir” during our tours. More than a combination of various natural factors who should give unique flavors or colors to our products it’s part of the French popular culture as pop music or pop art. Normandy people are so proud of their Camembert cheese you can’t reproduce anywhere else. Burgundy people can’t imagine that some other winemakers can also produce good “Pinot noir” wines outside Burgundy (why not…).
In any case le terroir is the set of all environmental factors that affect a crop‘s qualities, when the crop is grown in a specific habitat. Collectively, these environmental characteristics are said to have a character; terroir also refers to this character. Some artisanal crops for which terroir is studied include wine, coffee, tobacco, chocolate, …
For sure it’s the basis of the French wine appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) system, which is a model for the wine certification and regulation in France. The AOC system presumes that the land from which the grapes are grown imparts a unique quality that is specific to that growing site.
Come with us and let’s discuss about “le Terroir”.
