Terroir - Anything that affects the way vines grow

We are on Virginia's Coastal Plain and in many cases the vineyards are planted on gently rolling hills. The Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail 
has wineries in or near the Chesapeake Bay Region of Virginia.  The region does not have a great deal of altitude, but relative 
altitude is the important factor here.  Vineyards are located at 200 feet above sea level or less with most of the vineyards having 
an area nearby for the cold air of a spring frost to fall away.  The Chesapeake Bay region was originally part of the Tidewater Region, 
but the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula were given the new designation because of their proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and their 
common rural features.
 
Most of the wineries on our trail are located in the Northern Neck/George Washington's Birthplace AVA.  The Northern Neck is an area rich 
in colonial history.  It is Virginia's most northernmost peninsula, or in colonial terms "neck", jutting out into the Chesapeake Bay.  The 
climate is moderated by the waterways of the Potomac River, the Rappahannock River and the Chesapeake Bay so we rarely see temperatures 
below zero degrees Fahrenheit .   Properly placed vineyards have an eastern exposure to insure that the morning sun dries the overnight 
dew as soon as possible.  Cooling breezes from the waterways also provide relief from the heat and help evaporate dew.  The temperatures 
and humidity present some challenges for growing the best wine grapes, but with current knowledge on vineyard placement, trellising 
techniques and variety selection, a wide selections of grapes prosper here.

Much of the soil is well drained sandy-clay loam of moderate fertility.  This soil structure provides enough moisture holding capacity to 
ensure that the vineyards do not require irrigation in most vineyards.  I believe the average rainfall is 35 inches per year and this 
is quite ample for grape growing.  It is common for vineyards to plant varieties that are less prone to humidity problems since the 
peak of the growing season is generally very humid.

Varieties with a resistance to fungus and a tolerance of heat are popular here.  Classic old world Vitis Vinifera varieties, are very 
valuable and widely grown provided that the clusters are  loosely formed. Tight clustered grapes like Pinot Noir are rarely grown in 
this part of the Virginia.  Common varieties in our vineyards include Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Chambourcin and Vidal. The 
best red varieties for us to grow are ones with a late harvest.  Since the highest quality grapes are developed with a long slow 
ripening period we strive to pick varieties that finish ripening after the heat of summer.

In summary, we have many good features with a moderate climate and minimal loss of vines due to extreme low temperatures.  The danger 
of spring frost is less here because of the buffering effect of the waterways and our climate zone.  The season is longer than many 
Virginia growing regions, but the danger of tropical storms is greater.  The region is similar to the Bordeaux region of France in many ways.