terroir

noun

ter·​roir ˌter-ˈwär 

: the combination of factors including soil, climate, and sunlight that gives wine grapes their distinctive character

Examples of terroir in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Check the farm’s website for seasonal opening times. Dine at local restaurants Sonoma County’s fine dining scene is revered, featuring exceptional local ingredients grown in the same distinctive terroir that makes the wines so excellent. —AFAR Media, 29 Apr. 2025

In this way, Aube’s winemakers, already under pressure introduced by the freshly formalized terroir boundaries, unwittingly became victims of a burgeoning police surveillance system as well. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 Apr. 2025

Most will be older vintages, punctuating the age-worthiness of this special mountain terroir. —Laura Ness, Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025

Ovum, started in 2011, was dedicated to really showcasing the terroir and diversity of Oregon outside of the Willamette Valley. —Emily Cappiello, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, land, country, stretch of land in reference to its agricultural features, from Old French tieroir, from Vulgar Latin *terratorium, alteration of Latin territorium

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for terroir

• adar
• afar
• ajar
• alar
• ansar
• bazaar
• bizarre
• boxcar
• boyar
• bulbar
• cachar
• cigar