![]() The vineyards of the Loire span a vast river valley, criss-crossed by the Loire River and its tributaries. Bordeaux’s famous vineyards lie on gravelly land close to (often right beside) the Gironde estuary. In the west of the country, the land where wine is grown is fairly flat and low. The source for each of the underlying digital relief maps is scilands GmbH. While each country is unique, and soil and climate play equally vital roles in what sort of wine you can produce, these maps offer a unique view of how and where wine is grown in Europe. The four animated maps below, of France, Italy, Germany and Spain, allow you to see one important aspect of this for yourself - the shape and height of the land throughout each of their wine growing regions. Some of the most famous of Europe’s hillsides and river valleys have been in nearly continuous use since the days of the Roman Empire. ![]() Since ancient times, these sorts of sites have been sought out, planted, and cultivated. Hillsides and valleys are prized by winemakers for both their incline to the sun and the land’s ability to drain itself as water departs for lower ground. Where wine grapes grow easily and produce large yields - flat, fertile farmland - the resulting wine is more often than not on the cheaper side. When you open a bottle of wine it’s easy to forget that growing wine grapes is farming and farming is all about taking advantage of the land you have. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |