terroir, much-discussed term for the total natural environment of any viticultural site. No precise English equivalent exists for this quintessentially French term and concept. Laville describes it fully, and how it underlies and defines the French appellation contrôlée system. A definition is given in van Leeuwen et al. (2004). Discussion of terroir is central to philosophical and commercial differences between old world and new world approaches to wine, although these viewpoints have been converging.
