News Release

The geology of wine

May 2016 GSA Today science

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Geological Society of America

May 2016 GSA Today Cover Image

image: Soil nutrient status as measured by pH is reflected in acidity and related taste of Pinot Noir wines in Oregon's Willamette Valley. These are Pinot Noir vines on Jory Series soils, which are developed on a middle Miocene intrabasaltic Oxisol in the Bernau Block of Willamette Valley Vineyards, near Salem. view more 

Credit: <i>GSA Today</i> and Matt Boyington

Boulder, Colo., USA: Every day, all around the world, millions of people contemplate a very simple question with a very complex answer: which wine? In this month's issue of GSA Today, Gregory Retallack (University of Oregon) and Scott Burns (Portland State University) examine the link between the taste of wine and soil properties.

The taste of wine has been the source of countless discussions for centuries. And when it comes to this topic, one might suggest two end-member personalities. There are those who extol the "gôut de terroir" and those who have never heard the term. Retallack and Burns nicely provide the reason for this distinction, after reviewing the concept of "tasting geology" and comparing soil properties and vintages for Pinot Noirs of the Willamette Valley.

Soil properties, particularly pH, affect the wine chemistry. So, while one cannot really taste the soil, the soil does modify the taste. Retallack and Burns' article puts science behind traditional tenets of vineyard management and adds a new dimension to dinner conversations everywhere.

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ARTICLE

The effects of soil on the taste of wine

Gregory J. Retallack and Scott F. Burns. GSA Today, v. 26, no. 5, p. 4-10; doi: 10.1130/GSATG260A.1.

GSA Today articles are open access online; for a print copy, please contact Kea Giles. Please discuss articles of interest with the authors before publishing stories on their work, and please make reference to GSA Today in articles published.

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