🪨 Terra rossa

Terra rossa means "red earth" in Italian. It is a red clay lying in a thin layer on top of limestone. Its colour comes from iron oxides, which rust like iron and give the soil a deep brick tone.

This soil forms in warm Mediterranean climates. Limestone slowly dissolves in rain, and the insoluble, iron-rich remainder stays in place and builds up. That is why terra rossa is common in Italy, Croatia, Spain, southern France and Australia.

For grapes it is good because it drains well while the limestone below holds moisture. The vine grows without excess water, and the berries are concentrated. The best-known example is the red wines of Coonawarra in Australia.

Terra rossa is closely tied to limestone: limestone is its base. It is one of the most recognisable soils in the wine world. The thickness of the layer varies: in places it is a thin film, in others a clear layer above the rock.