Soil types

Question 1

Fertile soil that has been transported down a slope, usually by a river or stream. At the bottom of the slope, ——– usually forms a fan that contains gravel, sand, and silt. ——- are found, for example, in the Napa Valley, especially near the area of western Oakville at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains.

Answer 1

alluvial soil

Question 2

Cooled lava from volcanic rock that is high in calcium, iron, and magnesium. Very evident in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, to name one place.

Answer 2

Basalt

Question 3

Alkaline soil with high levels of calcium and magnesium carbonate. Often ——– are “cool,” which means they retain water and delay ripening, thereby leading to more acidic wines.

Answer 3

Calcareous Soil

Question 4

Very porous, soft limestone soil that vine roots can easily penetrate. A classic soil in Champagne, France, among other places.

Answer 4

Chalk

Question 5

Sedimentary rock-based soil that has good water retention ability but poor drainage. The soil is often very “cool” and high in acidity. The Right Bank of Bordeaux is dominated by these soils.

Answer 5

Clay

Question 6

Siliceous stone that reflects sun and heat well. The soils of Pouilly-Fume are generally based in this.

Answer 6

Flint

Question 7

Schist-based soil found in the Tuscany region of Italy

Answer 7

Galestro

Question 8

A course-grained form of granite

Answer 8

Gneiss

Question 9

A hard, mineral rich soil that is composed of 40-60% quartz. The soil warms quickly and retains heat well. Thus, these soils are ideal with acidic grapes like gamay. ——- is found in Beaujolais, as well as the Cornas region of the northern Rhone valley

Answer 9

Granite

Question 10

Soil that is loose and pebbly and has good drainage and poor fertility. Vines panted in this type of soil must penetrate deeply to find nutrients in the subsoil. The Graves and Sauternes regions of Bordeaux consist predominately of this type of soil.

Answer 10

Gravel

Question 11

Sedimentary soil formed by rivers depositing quartz, mudstone, and feldspar. It is found in vineyards of Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Answer 11

Greywackle

Question 12

A dense layer of clay or other material that is impermeable to water. In some areas of Bordeaux, a sandy, iron-rich layer is located deep enough below the surface to act as the bottom of a water table for the vines.

Answer 12

Hardpan

Question 13

A wide range of sedimentary-based soils consisting of calcium carbonates, many of which are formed from the skeletal fragments of marine organisms. ——— is consistently alkaline and is generally planted with grapes of high acid levels. This is a main soil type in Burgundy, Champagne, and several parts of the Loire Valley. Because ——- is a remnant of some ancient seabeds, certain islands (including the Florida Keys are made of this soil type.

Answer 13

Limestone

Question 14

A soil type found in the Priorat appellation of Spain. The soil is a mix of slate and quartz that is very porous and drains well.

Answer 14

Llicorella

Question 15

Warm, soft, fertile soil composed of roughly equal amounts of silt, sand, and clay. It is typically too fertile for high-quality wines.

Answer 15

Loam

Question 16

Very fine, silt-based soil composed of windborne sediment that is typically angular and decalcified The soil has good water retention and warming properties. ——- is a common soil type in top Austrian and Washington State vineyards.

Answer 16

Loess

Question 17

Calcareous clay-based soil that is “cool” and thus delays ripening, resulting in wines with prominent acidity. ——– is typically deep and lacking in stone fragments; it is the main soil type in the Piedmont wine region of Italy.

Answer 17

Marl

Question 18

A common material found in sand and silt based soils. The high soil pH of this soil can reduce acidity of the resulting wines. But ——– also stores heat, so it can increase ripening of grapes. ——– is very notable in the vineyards of the lower Nahe in Germany, where the wines have stone-fruit and wet stone flavors.

Answer 18

Quartz

Question 19

Warm, airy soil that is composed of tiny particles of weathered rocks. One of the few soils that the insect Phylloxera does not thrive in. The soil drains well but does not have good water retention. ——- is a main component in the soils of California’s South Central Coast near Santa Barbara.

Answer 19

Sand

Question 20

Laminated, crystalline rock-based soil that retains heat well and is rich in magnesium and potassium, but is poor in organic nutrients and nitrogen. The upper slopes of Alsace’s Andlau region are planted on ——– based soils

Answer 20

Schist

Question 21

Fine-grain sedimentary-based soil that can turn into slate when under geologic pressure. The soil is moderately fertile and retains heat well. New York State’s Finger Lakes region boasts —— rich soil, brought by glacial deposits hundreds of thousands of years ago

Answer 21

Shale

Question 22

A flint and sand-based soil type, found primarily in the Loire Valley, that is formed from a mixture of clay, limestone, and silica

Answer 22

Silex

Question 23

Soil type consisting of fine-grain deposits that offer good water retention but poor drainage. It is more fertile than sand.

Answer 23

Silt

Question 24

The most common soil type of the Mosel region of Germany. ——— is a metamorphic, platelike rock formed when shale, clay or silt stone is subjected to pressure deep within the earth. The soil retains heat well and warms up quickly.

Answer 24

Slate

Question 25

A sedimentary soil, known as “red earth,” that is formed after carbonates have been leached out of limestone. The breakdown leaves behind iron deposits that oxidize and turn the soil a rustic red color. This soil type is found in some areas along the Mediterranean and in Coonawarra, Australia

Answer 25

Terra Rossa

Question 26

Soil that is derived from one of two geologic activities. 1) Vent-based ——- soil is formed from rock material or molten globules that have been ejected at high velocity into the air and then have cooled before settling to the earth (such as tufa) 2) Lava-based —— soil is the product of molten lava flows from a volcano. 90% of this soil type is basalt

Answer 26

Volcanic