Wine & Soil

There are two reasons premium wine grapes don't grow just anywhere -- climate and soil. Grape vines are naturally vigorous, meaning they'll put lots of energy into growing vines instead of the grapes. This creates more work in controlling the vine growth, so that the energy goes to making lots of quality fruit.

Often the best soil is one that is not very nutrient rich. Sometimes you want it to drain well; sometimes you want the soil to hold water during droughts. No, there's no perfect dirt.

This article from the Wine Enthusiast talks about different soil types. It starts with the local unique soil of the Russian River Valley called Goldridge.