Editing Vineyard (section)

==Terroir==
{{Main|Terroir}}
[[File:La Geria vines.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.15|[[Malvasia]] grape vines growing in topsoil covered in [[lapilli]], at [[La Geria]], Lanzarote, Canary Islands. The low, curved walls protect the vines from the constant, drying wind.]]
[[File:Novaj - 2015.01.14 (8).JPG|thumb|Wine estate in Hungary]]
Terroir refers to the combination of natural factors associated with any particular vineyard. These factors include things such as soil, underlying rock, altitude, slope of hill or terrain, orientation toward the sun, and [[microclimate]] (typical rain, winds, humidity, temperature variations, etc.). No two vineyards have exactly the same terroir, although any difference in the resulting wine may be virtually undetectable.

Vineyards are often located on hillsides and planted in soil that is of only marginal value to other plants. A common saying is that "the worse the soil, the better the wine." Planting on hillsides, especially those facing north (in the southern hemisphere) or south (in the northern hemisphere), is most often in an attempt to maximize the amount of sunlight that falls on the vineyard. For this reason, some of the best wines come from vineyards planted on quite steep hills, conditions which would make most other agricultural products uneconomic. The stereotypical vineyard site for wine grapes (in the Northern hemisphere) is a hillside in a dry climate with a southern exposure, good drainage to reduce unnecessary water uptake, and balanced pruning to force the vine to put more of its energy into the fruit, rather than foliage.

The terroir philosophy is predominantly French in origin, the flavour and character of the place defining the individuality and the special attributes of wines and combined with hundreds of years of the finest wine making traditions, terroir gives wines their distinctive taste and signature. However, wildfires in California and Australia have also influenced the character of vineyard plantations and grapes in those areas.