Jul 11, 2023 · When farmed at lower yields, loam soils can add richness and density to wines’ texture, O’Brien says. Loam has a high capacity for water retention, but paying attention to productivity is crucial, says Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca.

Because of the vigor, most loam soils produce wines that have very little flavor and color. Despite this fact, loam soils offer great potential with wines made from vineyards that have rigorous pruning regimes.

Typical acidic soils that are acidic due to their parent rock include brown or reddish-brown, sandy loams or sands, volcanic soils, and any igneous or silicate-rich soil. Neutral soils can become acidic from too much humus or acid rain.

By itself, loam is too vigorous of a soil to grow quality winegrapes. It would be the soil that the Romans would plant grain, fruit, and vegetables. The magic of loam is how it impacts mixed soils. Sandy loam, clay loam, and silt loam tend to make up the greatest wine soils in the world.

Grapes that love it: Sangiovese, Merlot. Most experts suggest loamy soil as the best type of soil for grape growing. A crumbly mix of sand, silt, and clay when blended with other soils in the right amounts offers the ideal soil type for grape growing.

So I did a little digging and created an easy to understand guide to wine soils. The most important soils to know, are the 4 soil compositions (shown immediately below). These basically tell you how porous the ground is.

May 31, 2006 · Loam is a type of soil, and when the term "loamy" is used to describe a wine, it refers to a pleasant earthy note (which is not the same thing as saying a wine smells dirty). It might help to have a green thumb to really appreciate the earthy distinctions.

When farmed at lower yields, loam soils can add richness and density to wines’ texture, O’Brien says. Loam has a high capacity for water retention, but paying attention to productivity is crucial, says Thomas Savre, winemaker at Lingua Franca. “If fertility is too high, then excess vigor can become detrimental to a wine’s quality,” he says.

Aug 16, 2023 · Loam soils strike a balance between clay and sandy soils, offering good drainage while retaining adequate moisture and nutrients. This balanced composition makes loam soils highly suitable for grape cultivation, as they provide optimal conditions for vine growth.

Dec 14, 2020 · Texture is a fundamental and familiar soil property. Among winegrape growers, it is common knowledge that sandy or lighter textured soils hold less water and consequently, dry more rapidly than clayey or heavier textured soils.