ENVS10001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: List Of Vineyard Soil Types, Loam, Terroir
17 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
TERROIR: WINES AND LANDSCAPE
Soil Science
• Soil forming factors: geology, climate, organisms + topography over
time lead to soil variability
o Soils at particular sites depends on these factors
• Soil Variability: has been measured + mapped, by soil survey +
classification of soil types
o Aus: vine growing areas (Southeastern) characterised by
duplex soils ! clay + sandy loam, 2 distinct horizons,
difficult to grow in
• Vines like well aerated + drained profiles
• Higher emphasis now placed on physical + biological properties of
vineyard soils
• Good vineyard management aims to maximise organic inputs to soil + improve soil structure
Country
Area/Region
Soil
Classification
Soil Description
Other
France
Cote d’Or,
Burgundy
Calcarosols
Shallow brown/red soils,
formed on limestone, red
colour indicates oxidation =
good aeration + drainage
Vines not irrigated – roots penetrate into
limestone fissure, practice clean cultivatiob (not
much space between vines = summer
thunderstorm washes soil down hill)
Rhone Valley
Stones (galets) residue of
alluvial material, left from
interglacial of Pleistocene
Still considered very favourable vineyards,
despite blocky topsoil
Languedoc-
Roussillon, South
Rudosol
Schistose soil
Old bush vines, not maintained in terms of
structure
UK
Sussex
Calcarosols +
Rudosols
Cretaceous chalk
Similar to soil in Champagne
Greece
Santorini
Andosol
Volcanic ash soil
Bush vines, low rainfall – mist + clouds help vines
survive
Weave baskets to protect foliage from wind
Italy
Friulu, NE Italy –
foothills of Alps
Rudosols
Thinly bedded shale
Terracing
Peimonte
Calcarosols
Granular structure
Well drained soil + good gas exchange on
limestone, due to steep slope
USA
Central Valley,
California
Tenosol
Well drained, essentially flat land
Willamette Valley,
Oregon
Ferrosols +
Dermosols
Deep red loam soils
Formed on basalt
Chile
Maule Valley
Tenosol
Deep soil, derived from
granite
Well weathered parent rock, lots of coarse
grains, many soils derived from
glacial/interglacial periods in Pleistocene and
volcanic activity
South Africa
Western Cape
Chromosols,
Kurosols +
Sodosols
Similar to duplex soils in
Australia
Deep ripper used to break subsoil compaction
before planting vineyard
Australia
Connawarra, SA
Calcarosol
Red, formed on limestone
Uneven depth due to solution holds, red
indicative of iron oxide – good drainage
Riverina, NSW
Kandosol
Formed on recent alluvial
sediments, + underlying
ancient lateritic soil
Extensive vineyards based on irrigation
Heathcote, VIC
Ferrosol
Deep red loam, formed on
Cambrian rocks
Shiraz production popular in this area
Mildura, VIC
Kandosols +
Calcarosols
Irrigated vineyards, winter cove crops used to
protect soil surface from wind + water erosion
Terroir: the effect of soil
(geology), climate
(macro, meso + micro),
variety, culture +
tradition, which create
the distinctive character
of a wine
Solution Hold:
prefferntial dissolution of
CaCO3 forming hole,
allowing soil to drop
Document Summary
Terroir: the effect of soil (geology), climate (macro, meso + micro), variety, culture + tradition, which create the distinctive character of a wine. Caco3 forming hole, allowing soil to drop: good vineyard management aims to maximise organic inputs to soil + improve soil structure. Shallow brown/red soils, formed on limestone, red colour indicates oxidation = good aeration + drainage. Stones (galets) residue of alluvial material, left from interglacial of pleistocene. Vines not irrigated roots penetrate into limestone fissure, practice clean cultivatiob (not much space between vines = summer thunderstorm washes soil down hill) Still considered very favourable vineyards, despite blocky topsoil. Old bush vines, not maintained in terms of structure. Bush vines, low rainfall mist + clouds help vines survive. Well drained soil + good gas exchange on limestone, due to steep slope. Formed on recent alluvial sediments, + underlying ancient lateritic soil.
