The magic word »terroir«

Anyone who explores good wine will quickly come across the term " terroir ." The term originates from French and originally simply meant "region." Today, the word "terroir" in French often also refers to what we call "regionality" in German.

The term "terroir" was first used in connection with pleasure and taste in medieval France by the Cistercian order . Back then, it referred to cheese, and the term—which has remained in use to this day—was " goût de terroir ," meaning the taste of the region. The monks knew what pleasure meant and took the time to taste and savor the subtleties!

Is a terroir wine therefore simply a "wine from the region"? While this statement is true in that a terroir wine is definitely closely linked to its region, in oenology (the study and science of wine and viticulture), the term terroir encompasses much more than just cultivation in a specific region.

Today, we want to take a closer look at these different elements – because the range of factors that determine the final taste of a wine is gigantic and ranges from technology to inexplicable magic…

A terroir wine has a character and is simply unmistakable. Therefore, it cannot be easily categorized – that would be like lumping the East Frisian comedian Otto with the opera singer Pavarotti because they both sing. There's a term for this in the wine trade: Typizität (typicality ), which describes how typical a wine is of its region and location. Otto wouldn't be Otto if he came from Bavaria. And Pavarotti wouldn't be Pavarotti if his roots were in Scotland instead of Italy.

Sensory perception is the technical term for taste. It describes that magical moment when, as a wine connoisseur, you close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold the wine in your mouth, and feel your taste buds exploding with joy.

If you'd like to try it right away, we've put together a comparison package in cooperation with the Veit winery from the Mosel that will open up new horizons for your taste buds!

The Mosel & Palatinate Terroir Package:

• 3x Graf von Weyher Winery | 2021 - 2023 Slate Riesling dry - Burrweiler Altenforst / Palatinate

• 3x Weingut Veit | 2021 - 2023 Grauschiefer Riesling dry Burrweiler Altenforst / Mosel

Click here for the Mosel vs. Riesling Terror package

Amazingly many!

• Floor

• Landscape

• climate

• Weather

• Single vineyard

• Grape / grape variety

• cultivation

• harvest

• Cellar art

• Culture & Magic (no joke!)

It's no wonder there are endless treatises on terroir wines. But we'll take a relaxed approach and briefly highlight each element. This way, you'll discover the fascinating complexity and be able to contribute to the discussion the next time the topic of terroir wine is discussed:

Soil plays an overwhelming role in the flavor of wine. So, saying "I like Riesling" is like saying "I like football teams": It's way too simplistic!

We grow our Riesling on four different soils:

Bunter sandstone, granite, marl limestone and slate.

And even though we use the exact same grape variety (Riesling), treat it exactly the same way (careful hand-selection), and the soils are partly located on the exact same vineyard site, the wines taste completely different. This is entirely due to the soil! It provides the vines with very different nutrients and minerals – and amazingly, you can taste it!

You can find out more about the different soils and their drastically different taste effects here.

We can also influence the flavor by cultivating the soil . For example, at our winery in Weyher, we have permanent vegetation and no open soils. This not only protects against corrosion but also creates a paradise for earthworms and insects (our best collaborators when it comes to soil!). The earthworms loosen the soil, thus providing access to oxygen and water.

Even the layman knows that the sun is more intense on the mountain than in the valley, and that this has a decisive impact on the flavor and ripeness of fruit. But did you know that completely different elements also affect wine?

But even the influence of a nearby forest or the sea (salty air!) or the fact whether sheep or donkeys graze next to the vineyard can affect the wine, because their droppings migrate into the soil and thus reach the vine (in a roundabout way).

Our location in the Palatinate Forest is truly special, as the wind gently blows down from the forest over the hills. The vineyards are sheltered and sun-drenched, with a hint of wild boar aroma . Paradisiacal and unique.

Photo: Wine village of Weyher - nestled between the Palatinate Forest Biosphere Reserve (left) and the Rhine plain (right).

It's no coincidence that the best Rieslings come from northern wine regions, as this grape can tolerate cold weather well, better than many other grape varieties! The general climate of a region has a decisive influence on the flavor development of a wine.

These include in particular the following factors:

• Average day and night temperatures (because they influence the plant’s energy)

• Rainfall distribution (a certain amount of water stress is necessary in summer to produce the best grapes)

• Hours of sunshine (how many hours is the vine in the sun?)

That is why there are so few winemakers willing to emigrate.
Because even if I dig up the vine and replant it somewhere else
(or take cuttings),
and even if I use all my know-how
and duplicate my technique exactly
– the wine will still taste completely different somewhere else.

Strategically relocating production abroad is therefore not an option for winemakers, even if they have an irrepressible desire to venture out to distant horizons. The popular saying "You can't separate a farmer from his soil" clearly reflects how deeply rooted farmers are in their soil... especially if, like us, they've been cultivating the same land since 1788.

But despite all the consistency, we have to adapt to climate change, just as our vines react sensitively to new conditions. So it always remains exciting.

So much for the relatively constant elements (soil, landscape, climate) . They are simply what they are: either well-suited for viticulture, or you're just out of luck. With this knowledge, it also becomes clear why some regions aren't capable of producing terroir wines in the first place: the basic conditions simply don't allow it.

We wrote more about this here.

Let's continue talking about the elements that either change every year (and often make us tear our hair out!) or those that we can even influence.

Let's talk about the weather. We winemakers do this with an enthusiasm bordering on obsession, because we can actually taste the weather of a particular vintage. Every year (and every day!) we ask ourselves the same questions:

• How much rain falls?

• When does it rain?

• How many hours of sunshine are there?

• When does it shine?

• How much wind do we have?

• When is there wind?

• Where does the wind blow from?

Even if we had two calendar years with exactly the same amount of precipitation and exactly the same number of hours of sunshine, our Riesling could still turn out completely different. Because timing is everything.

Those who read our newsletter regularly know that we face frost in January with ease, but in April with shaky knees. Rain delights us in spring and makes us despair in summer, but also in autumn. We need gentle breezes in June and July to promote pollination, and also in a wet autumn to dry the grapes quickly, but please no storms (we never like those). In short: It's a perpetual dreadful.

The vagaries of the weather therefore play a decisive role every year in the development of the fine maturity of a wine, because they influence the biological and chemical composition of the grape and thus directly the alcoholic fermentation.

Our premium Riesling is also called a single-vineyard Riesling because it is harvested in a so-called "single vineyard." This means that only the wine from this particular vineyard is pressed and bottled separately. For this reason, the vineyard name appears on the label. A single-vineyard wine is thus the ultimate terroir, the quintessence of a small patch of land.

Not every grape variety conveys the terroir with the same transparency and delicacy. There are more stubborn varieties, such as Burgundy, which are not so easily influenced. Our Riesling, on the other hand, is a true terroir ambassador, a true " drama queen ," so to speak. No other grape variety is as delicately strung, a princess and a pea, so to speak. Even the smallest change in the conditions has a direct effect on the flavor - and only after you have become friends with Riesling for a few decades do you know how to handle it to achieve excellent quality. It's like a good marriage - you know each other and know what to do to keep your loved one from getting upset.

You can find out more about the drama queen here.

As winemakers, we understand cultivation to mean the way in which the vineyard is laid out and the vines are "trimmed." Cultivation has a decisive influence on how the vines grow. In Weyher, we use what is known as wire-frame training . It sounds terrible, but it simply means that the vines grow along wires. Their widely spread "arms" give the grapes plenty of room to develop and can bask in the sun for hours. Alternatively, there is also the so-called bush training or pergola training, which are used more frequently in southern Europe.

You can find out more here.

A mechanical harvest has many advantages, but when it comes to the crème de la crème of our wines, we stick to manual harvesting. Only then can the grapes be perfectly pre-selected. And this is precisely what ultimately influences the taste.

Last but not least, the art of cellaring plays a crucial role in the quality of the terroir. This is where the true craftsmanship of a winemaker shines. They closely monitor the development, check all important parameters, and then make fine adjustments wherever necessary. The choice of storage (for example, traditionally in barriques, i.e., oak barrels, or modernly in stainless steel) also has a fundamental impact on the flavor.

Have you ever experienced this? Nobody makes their favorite cake like Grandma does. But even if you use the exact same recipe, maybe even bake it under her supervision and in her oven – it just doesn't taste the same as if Grandma made it herself.

This also applies to the virtuosos at the winery: Are they detail-oriented or do they pay attention to the bigger picture? Do they enjoy a leisurely life or do they take it fast? Are they cosmopolitan, open to tourists, or do they prefer to brew in secret?

Where culture is combined with craftsmanship,
personality is reflected in taste.

We Palatinate people bring a certain lightness to our wines.

A typical prize for the proud winners of our festivals? Their body weight is weighed in wine. So, if you weigh 120 kg, you'll receive 120 kg of wine as a prize. A belly is definitely worth it!

We even have our own giant glass (for everyday wine enjoyment), the 0.5 liter Schobbe glass, which is only available in the Palatinate.

Anyone who's read this far will easily understand why the interaction of all these factors can have such drastic effects and why terroir wines are so celebrated. But how do you evaluate such a treasure?

To define a terroir, it's not enough for a single winemaker to produce an outstanding wine. Instead , different winemakers in the same region must receive good to excellent ratings in independent competitions .

As you can see, there's a lot to say about terroir wines, a lot to understand, and a lot to learn. But nothing beats a real tasting. That's why we've put together two terroir packages for you:

The small Weyherer winemaker terroir package:

3x 2023 Riesling from Granit

3x 2023 Riesling from Slate

3 wineries from Weyher

(Meier Winery, Möwes Winery and Graf von Weyher Winery)

Click here for the small Weyherer Winzer Terroir package

The large Weyherer winemaker terroir package:

3 Weyher wineries present their top terroir wines:

5 wines from Weingut Meier

5 wines from the Möwes winery

5 wines from the Graf von Weyher winery

15 bottles of ultimate terroir from 5 vintages, a real tip for gourmets, amateur sommeliers, and connoisseurs!

Click here for the large Weyherer Winzer Terroir package.

If you want to taste and learn about the terroir, you shouldn't miss these offers and find your very own favorite wine!

Your Terroir Counts of Weyher