What aspect of soil composition is most strongly correlated with wine quality?
A. Its color
B. The amount of volcanic material it contains
C. Its capacity to drain water
D. Its weight
C.
The best wine growing sites in the world have well-drained soils that hold just enough—but not too much water. Well-drained soils force grapevine roots to grow deep into the subsoil to find water—a good thing since deep roots are less prone to the vagaries of a climate. Also, vines with optimal water—neither too much nor too little—generally have small berries with ideal juice-to-skin ratios and lower yields than overly irrigated vines. This means wines with more flavor concentration.