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Soil and Wine: How the Ground Beneath Shapes the Glass
Organic September is here, and this year’s theme highlights the importance of healthy soils. And when it comes to wine, soil isn’t just the ground vines grow in, it’s the foundation of the vineyard.
How Does Soil Affect Wine?
Soil is where it all begins. It nourishes the vines, sustains the grapes and ultimately shapes the wine in your glass. While many elements influence a wine’s style, soil is one of the most important.
Organic vs Non-Organic Soils
The difference between organic and non-organic vineyards is striking.
Non-organic soils exposed to pesticides, herbicides and synthetic chemicals often degrade into lifeless brown sludge. The environment around them can feel still and sterile.
Organic soils are alive and fresh, aerated, buzzing with bacteria, fungi, insects and microorganisms. This biodiversity enahnces wildlife and strengthens vines.
Healthy soils allow microbes to unlock nutrients in a form vines can absorb. The result: healthier, more balanced grapes, resulting in wines that are more expressive with a stronger sense of terroir and place.
Soil Types and Their Signature in Wine
Limestone: Elegance and Freshness
Retains water yet drains well, producing wines with brightness and minerality. Think Chablis or Champagne.
Clay: Power and Structure
Moisture-rich, cool soils give plush, full-bodied wines like Right Bank Merlot.
Gravel: Warmth and Precision
Fast-draining and heat-retaining, gravel sharpens Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux’s Médoc.
Volcanic: Energy and Spice
Mineral-rich soils yield wines with vibrancy, salinity, and spice. Sicily’s Etna Rosso sings of fire and ash.
Sand: Finesse and Perfume
Light soils produce fragrant, delicate wines with softer tannins – as in certain Barolos.
Why Healthy Soil Matters for All of Us
Healthy soils take time and money to nurture. Organic systems are more labour-intensive, often with lower yields, but they reveal the true cost of production without hidden clean-ups, health issues or chemical subsidies.
Dead soils produce weak, disease-prone plants. Healthy soils produce resilient vines and authentic wines, free from residues. Supporting growers and winemakers who invest in soil health is supporting biodiversity, sustainability and quality – not just for us, but for future generations too.
And whose soil is it anyway? It belongs to all of us, and it’s borrowed from future generations. By choosing wines from soil-conscious winemakers, you’re investing in flavour, authenticity and a healthier planet. Look after the soil, it looks after us.
7 Terroir-Driven Wines for Organic September
This Organic September, we’re highlighting 7 standout terroir-driven wines that reflect a true sense of place and the soils they come from. If you’re looking to explore the magic of soil and terroir, then look no further ✨
Grown on ancient fossil-rich limestone, this Pinot Noir is all finesse with bright red fruit, a silky texture and a whisper of minerality. A pure taste of the Loire’s terroir.
Born from Sicily’s volcanic soils, this Nerello Mascalese is vibrant and expressive – red berries, wild herbs and a smoky mineral edge that speaks of the land.
From high-altitude Andean soils, this organic Malbec is pure and unmasked with juicy black fruit, a touch of spice and a freshness that sings without sulphur.
Old vines rooted in limestone give this Burgundy Chardonnay its delicious character, with ripe orchard fruit, a creamy texture and a clean mineral finish.
High-altitude clay and limestone soils shape this fine Tempranillo, known for its dark fruit, subtle oak spice and a bold yet balanced structure.
A sparkling Austrian sip of volcanic soil that’s bright, zesty and alive with mineral energy. Bursting with citrus and a subtle smoky edge, it’s terroir in a fizzing glass.
This isn’t the cheapest wine (we know!) but with the word ‘terroir’ in its name, this Bordeaux had to make the cut. Signature Bordeaux fruit from limestone soils – this is fine and serious terroir in every sip.
Seven wines from seven soils – each a reminder that when you care for the ground beneath the vines, you taste the difference in the glass.