More and more wine lovers are coming to appreciate the fact that the specific location of a vineyard can play a crucial role in the individual character of the resultant wine. This ‘specific location quality’ is also known as a ‘sense of place’ or ‘terroir’, although the latter term has a far wider meaning.

So what then is terroir? Among the many definitions available is the one from the Terroir France website: “A ‘terroir’ is a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and winemaking savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine.’ In simple terms terroir is region + appellation + grapes + winemaking.

The natural elements influencing terroir is therefore soil, climatic conditions and topography – all of which can vary vastly from region to region but even within the same vineyard. While these factors create a series of unique terroir units which have a vast influence on the quality of the grapes, man’s intervention is also important. And here we’re talking the selection of specific clones and cultivars plus viticultural practices such as cultivation, pruning and canopy control. Add to these the cellar techniques of the winemaker and there you have the wine’s entire pedigree!

The concept of terroir therefore implies that each wine is unique and at Creation our ultimate mission is to reflect the heart and soul of our terroir in our wines. Since the launch of our first wines a decade ago, our wines have won universal acclaim not only for their beautiful balance, elegance and finesse but also for the way they reflect our glorious maritime terroir.