Terroir is a French term that literally means “soil” or “earth”, but carries a much deeper meaning. It’s the sense and flavour of place. The way a specific vineyard’s climate, soil and natural environment imprint themselves on the grapes, and eventually, in the glass.
Terroir can be defined as an interactive ecosystem – the coming together of climate, soil, topography, grape varietal and human intervention. It’s a complex, living system where each part matters. A vineyard’s altitude, its exposure to wind, the angle of its slope, the type of soil and even how close it lies to the ocean, shape the fruit it produces.
Wine legend and Durbanville Hills’ late cellarmaster, Martin Moore, loved to point out that Cape Town lies near latitude 30° South, alongside cities like Santiago, Buenos Aires, Sydney and Auckland. While these cities share similar latitudes - and potentially similar climates - their wines are unmistakeably different. That’s terroir in action: the subtle but profound influence of place.
Among the natural elements that define terroir, climate is the most decisive. It determines which grape varietals can be planted successfully. Vines are notoriously picky: most only thrive within a narrow range of temperature and rainfall.
For example, cool-climate zones like Elgin and Hemel-en-Aarde are ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - grapes that demand cooler growing conditions and long ripening periods. Meanwhile, warmer regions like Paarl and Robertson suit fuller-bodied reds like Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.
It goes even further. A vineyard facing south might receive less sunlight and produce wines with more acidity than a north-facing vineyard just a few metres away. Coastal mists, mountain shadows, prevailing winds — all can produce remarkably different wines.
South Africa’s wine regions are blessed with some of the oldest soils in the world. Vines are forced to dig deep into the subsoil, often producing smaller yields of more concentrated, expressive fruit.
What’s fascinating is that earthy or mineral notes in wine aren’t literally from the soil but rather how the vine’s struggle and the soil’s structure aids the grape’s acidity and flavour complexity.
What does terroir taste like? This is the question that fascinates wine lovers. Can we really taste terroir? The answer is yes, but it’s subtle. Terroir doesn’t shout. It whispers. You might notice it in the stony crispness of a Chenin Blanc grown on shale soils or the gentle salinity in a Sauvignon Blanc from coastal Darling.
Though terroir is rooted in nature, it’s deeply shaped by human hands. Decisions made by the viticulturist and winemakers such as which rootstock to plant, how to train the vines, when to harvest, fermentation and maturation options all influence the final wine.
As many great winemakers will say, it is about knowing when to intervene and when to step back. Over-manipulation (too much oak, excessive extraction, or poor viticulture) can easily mute the voice of terroir. When done right, though, the wine becomes a pure expression of its place.
From the cool fog of Walker Bay to the rugged heat of the Swartland, South African wines are increasingly celebrated for their sense of place. Our wines are not trying to be French, Australian or Californian. They are proudly South African, shaped by our sun, slopes, soils, winds and our winemakers.
In the end, terroir is a quiet voice, but it speaks volumes. You just have to listen.