Terroir
Geology
Born of fire: Terlano’s vineyards nestle like sun terraces in red porphyry rock of volcanic origins.
In mineralogical terms it is composed of alkali feldspar, light plagioclase, quartz and muscovite.
The Middle Adige Valley, where Cantina Terlano is located, was formed during the last Ice Age. The Adige glacier, probably over 1000 m thick, carved a wide U-shaped valley with steep sides. As the glacier melted, the steep slopes became free of ice and exposed to erosion. What is now the valley floor was covered with deposits of gravel, boulder clay, sediments and mudflows.
The skeletal sandy loamy soils have a high quartz content. The absence of calcium carbonate explains the slightly acid pH values. These factors result in a high permeability to water, a limited nutrient supply and thus balanced growth with naturally limited yields.
pH: neutral to slightly acidic
Carbonate content: low to moderate
Soil type: mainly sandy to sandy loam
Soil depth: high (>2 m)
Skeleton fraction: very high
Rock: predominantly siliceous (porphyry)
- An extraordinary terroir
Exceptional soil conditions influence the terroir of Terlano, where the vines have developed a specific reaction to micro-stress and produce their own terroir-specific polyphenols, which give the Terlano wines their distinctive character. The result is particularly salty wines with great tension and depth. The special mix of crystals and minerals in the Terlano soils produces white wines whose unique longevity never fails to impress the world’s wine gurus.