Albariza:
a white, chalky soil that is typical of Jerez in Spain. The soil retains
moisture and its light colored property reflects the sun back up to
the vines.
Alluvial:
these are fine-grained soils with mud, silt with a high content of
sand and stones. A soil valued for viticulture and typical of the
Medoc region of Bordeaux.
Argillaceous:
A general term for marl, sedimentary clay, shale or siltstones. Argilo-calcaire
is a combination of limestone and clay.
Calcareous:
a chalky soil composed of calcium carbonate, calcium or limestone;
called calcaire in France.
Chalk:
a valuable viticulture soil because of its good drainage properties,
it is a soft, fine-grained, crumbly and porous sediment rock that
is present in the Champagne region of France.
Clay:
a fine grained and heavily textured soil that is known for its ability
to hold water and nutrients.
Duplex:
a soil type that has a porous soil on top of nonporous soil like sand
over clay.
Galestro:
a soil that is clay like and in the process of becoming stone; typical
of majority of the best vineyards in Chianti, Tuscany.
Wine Soil Terms- Dallas Bartenders
Gneiss:
a crystalline rock that is similar to granite.
Granite:
a course grained rock composed of a variety of minerals.
Gravelly:
this soil is typical of the Left Bank region of Bordeaux and has a
large percentage of pebbles.
Ironstone:
a soil type containing iron.
Limestone:
a calcium carbonate, sedimentary rock that often overlies reservoirs
of water that roots cannot penetrate unless through cracks. Best suited
for white wines.
Loam:
an organic soil that contains a number of elements like clay, soil
and plant material.
Loess:
a soil where wind has deposited clay and silt; Austria and Germany
in particular.
Marl:
an acidic, crumbly clay and limestone soil that also contains shells;
typical of Cote d'Or in Burgundy.
Quartz:
consists of silicon dioxide that is typically infertile but has good
drainage.
Sand:
Sandy soil drains to easily and stores no nutrients but can deter
ther phylloxera beetle.
Sandstone:
a soil composed of grains of sand that varies in fertility and drainage.
Schist:
a metamorphic rock that is medium to coarse-grained rock that easily
splits into layers; found in Alsace and Cote Rotie in the Rhone Valley.
Viticulture/Grape Soil Terms- Dallas Bartenders
Shale:
A crumbly, fertile sedimentary rock.
Siliceous:
silicon dioxide, known as silica which is found in quartz and sand.
Silt:
an alluvial deposit that is multi-grained and found in soils of Napa
Valley, California.
Slate:
a fine-grained compact metamorphic rock that holds water and heat;
found in many vineyards in Germany's Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Region.
Soil
acidity: Soil is said to be acidic if its pH value
is below 7, alkaline if its value is above. The acidity or alkalinity
of soil can have a profound effect on wine and play a large role in
determining the suitability of a plot of land for vine growing.
Terra
rosa: a redish-brown clay or loam over limestone;
found in Coonawarra, South Australia.
Tuffeau:
a calcareous soil that is a soft form of limestone.
