World Chardonnay Day celebrates the social, cultural, and agricultural importance of wine across the world. Chardonnay produces versatile wines in many price points, created from green-skinned grapes that adapt to various climates. Chardonnay can be crisp and clean or rich and oaky. While the taste is influenced by the process winemakers go through for production, it also depends on one key ingredient, the soil.
At CIBO, we are proud to bring attention to the agronomy behind wine production. Beneath every grape is a plot of soil that helped to nurture and grow the fruit. This year, we hope to celebrate the importance of soil at vineyards around the globe.
How Soil Impacts Chardonnay Flavors
The soil type in a vineyard brings a different character to a Chardonnay and can impact the taste. According to Cape Lover’s Wine Society, “Limestone contains beneficial nutrients to produce better and sweeter grapes. It remains moist in dry weather and has good drainage. It can lead to iron deficiency which is overcome by frequent fertilizer application. The alkalinity in the soil promotes acidity to make zesty wines.”
“Clay retains even more moisture than limestone, which it releases throughout the dry summer months. The extra moisture brings a cool soil to slow ripening. The resultant wines are rounder, bolder, more generous and with more structure and color from deeper extraction.”
“Slate is metamorphosed clay that has been compressed under heat and pressure. It is low in organic matter so does not retain water. Therefore, slate soils warm quickly and retain heat. Broken rocks on the surface shade the roots from the sun and reflect the heat onto the vines, which make them good in cool climate regions. The resultant wines contain higher levels of alcohol, leaner and more mineral in character.”
In addition to taste, paying attention to soil health can help improve the environment.
Importance of Regenerative Agriculture for Chardonnay
Soil is at the center of our planet’s food production system and the benefits of sustainable soil management practices through regenerative agriculture are gaining attention across wine-growing regions. By caring for this precious resource, we can mitigate the negative impact of climate change and secure our food (and wine!) supply. Winemakers are gaining an increased awareness of the value of soil health to maintain environmental quality, crop yield, and grape quality.
Regenerative Agriculture is part of the solution farmers adopt to address sustainable farm management and promote long term productivity and profitability. With it, farmers improve soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Farming practices like conservation tillage (e.g. low-till, no-till, strip till) cover cropping, erosion prevention, and precision fertilization all contribute to reducing and offsetting carbon while also restoring soil health and farm resiliency. This means the wine you’re drinking isn’t just delicious but it’s helping improve the world around you.
Best Ways to Celebrate World Chardonnay Day
This World Chardonnay Day, take the time to appreciate the wine and the process that goes into producing the unique flavor. In addition to enjoying a glass of wine, take the time to reward farmers who are using regenerative farming to rebuild, restore and support healthy soils.
If you’re looking for ways to give back to agriculture, consider purchasing CIBO carbon credits. CIBO offers a breakthrough new approach to supporting, measuring and, most importantly, compensating farmers for the sustainable practices they’re doing by generating carbon credits. CIBO Carbon Credits are generated from US farmers’ regenerative practices, which help rebuild the soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This World Chardonnay Day you can help improve the climate, glass of wine in hand
