The French word, terroir, is used to describe all the ecological factors that make a particular type of wine special to the region of its origin. James E. Wilson uses his training as a geologist and his years of research in the wine regions of France to fully examine the concept of terroir. The result combines natural history, social history, and scientific study, making this a unique book that all wine connoisseurs and professionals will want close at hand. In Part One Wilson introduces the full range of environmental factors that together form terroir. He explains France's geological foundation; its soil, considered the "soul" of a vineyard; the various climates and microclimates; the vines, their history and how each type has evolved; and the role that humansfrom ancient monks to modern enologistshave played in viticulture. Part Two examines the history and habitat of each of France's major wine regions. Wilson explores the question of why one site yields great wines while an adjacent site yields wines of lesser quality. He also looks at cultural influences such as migration and trade and at the adaptations made by centuries of vignerons to produce distinctive wine styles. Wilson skillfully presents both technical information and personal anecdotes, and the book's photographs, maps, and geologic renderings are extremely helpful. The appendices contain a glossary and information on the labeling of French wines. With a wealth of information explained in clear English, Wilson's book enables wine readers to understand and appreciate the mystique of terroir.

Customer Review: All you ever wanted to know about wine and geology in France

This is an amazing book. I first encountered it in the library of a tour barge through Burgundy in France. I learned so much about the "terroir" of the burgundian wines that I ordered a copy for myself as soon as I got home. If you ever wanted to know just what the French mean by the word "terroir" as applied to wines, then this is the book for you. Wilson combines the geology, geography, wine variaties and even a bit of history for every major and even minor wine region of France. There is an introduction that introduces the major geological and wine terms used in the book. After that, you can go to any section (Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, etc.) and discover just how the mixtures of soil, climate, geography, and the underlying geology interact to produce the distinctive wines of France.

Customer Review: A text for geologists, not wine lovers

Do not buy this book if you are expecting an easy read, perhaps expanding on the "terroir" writings of Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator fame. This book spends little space discussing the actual liquid that in contained within a wine bottle. What you get instead is an in depth examination of the geology which causes differences in the finished product. The feeling that the "product" is wine, seems to have no joy to the author. To me, that is what ruins this book. I get the feeling that if the author would have had as much enthusiasm writing upon the impact of different wavelengths of light on the lima bean. Not that this book didn't accomplish what the author set out to do. Just know what you are buying.

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