Reverse Wine Snob

Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good

  • About
  • Aldi® Picks
  • Costco® Picks
  • Trader Joe’s® Picks
  • FREE GUIDE
  • Insider Deals
menu icon
go to homepage
  • FREE GUIDE!
  • About
  • Insider Deals
  • Costco
  • Trader Joe's
  • Aldi
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • Get Our Free Guide!
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • FREE GUIDE!
    • About
    • Insider Deals
    • Costco
    • Trader Joe's
    • Aldi
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • ×

    How Does Altitude Affect Wine? Ask The Expert!

    By: Jon Thorsen Published: February 9, 2018 Last Updated: May 23, 2021

    Get the skinny on high altitude!

    How Does Altitude Affect Wine? Ask The Expert!

    It's time for another edition of Ask The Expert! Today we're digging deeper into altitude -- how does a little elevation affect grape growing and the resulting wine? And why do we see "high altitude" often called out on wine labels?

    Our expert for this question is Anne Bousquet co-owner of Domaine Bousquet in Argentina.

    Here is Anne's answer to the question: How Does Altitude Affect Wine?

    How Does Altitude Affect Wine? Ask The Expert!Our vineyards are at 4,000 feet in the Andean foothills because it is cooler here than on the valley floor. Vines need moderate temperatures, between 47° F and 86° F. They shut down if it gets too cold or too hot. Roughly, temperature falls around 1.1° F per 330 feet of elevation. In the Northern hemisphere's classic growing areas, the challenge was to find sites that were warm enough. In the New World, the challenge is often the opposite.

    High areas also tend to have big differences in day and night temperatures, known as "diurnal temperature swings". Vines -- like humans -- prefer cooler nights for better sleep and a nice warm sunny day. Think of lovely summer holidays in the mountains!

    These daily temperature swings, a huge 59° F at Domaine Bousquet, mean more sugar (hot days) AND more acid (cold nights). To protect against heat and cold, the grapes develop thicker skins. These skins -- that's where most of the flavor is, not in the pulp -- produce wines with greater body, flavor and aromatics. Our intense alpine sunlight in 360 out of 365 days gives Bousquet wines big, bold fruit, but it is fresh fruit, like newly picked. Those acid-retaining cold nights also mean a long hang-time, if desired.

    Often in the wine world, altitude implies that a vineyard is on a slope. A flat tabletop location at 4,000 feet is less desirable than one at 4,000 feet on a gentle slope. Drainage is important because vines don’t like wet feet. Slopes can also mean breezes. At Domaine Bousquet, near constant breezes from the Andes to the west help mitigate heat-stress when it gets too hot.

    Finally, altitude means that you are off the valley floor, with its richer, loamy soils. Counter-intuitively, vines, perhaps like some great artists, need to suffer to make good grapes. Give them a diet of too-fertile soil and they produce too many leaves, too many poor quality grapes. Vine roots need to struggle deep into the soil, pulling up minerals that translate into those special markers that give a site-specific personality to a wine.

    And speaking of soil (as a Frenchwoman, you probably knew I was going to mention "terroir"), here is a negative re: altitude. "Higher" does not automatically mean "better". Think of the great vineyards of Bordeaux at close to sea level or unheralded vineyards at 8,000 feet. The highest, by the way, is in in Nepal, at 9,500 feet.

    My father bought the virgin land because of the sandy soil. Gualtallary's soils come in six to seven different types, but Domaine Bousquet is the only estate with primarily sand soil. We teased him about buying a beach, but he was adamant because this soil makes elegant wines and that characteristic was very important to him as a Frenchman. We actually use the tagline "Naturally Elegant Wines". Sandy soil provides the low fertility desirable for vine stress, with good drainage and no salinity issues.

    So, the bottom line is that altitude is a factor, but not the most important factor. Actually, in our case, the most important factor is groundwater. Most land in Gualtallary doesn't have accessible groundwater. We were lucky to find a site with water, unusual soil, at the right altitude (4,000 feet is just right – not too high, not too low) and with a very dry climate. The absence of humidity has enabled us to produce organic grapes. Since Day 1, all Domaine Bousquet wines have been made 100% with organically grown grapes.

    A final thought: consumers will find more and more wineries touting "altitude" in the coming years. That's code for "inside this bottle is a fresh and lively wine", not a "flabby, wilting-in-the-heat" wine. It's global warming. But Buyer Beware: it takes more than altitude to make good wine.

    Thanks to Anne Bousquet co-owner of Domaine Bousquet for her insightful answer to the question How Does Altitude Affect Wine?

    Have a burning question of your own? Shoot us a tweet or a message on our Facebook page and we'll line up an expert to get you an answer! In the meantime you can peruse all of our Expert Answers here!

    Filed Under: Ask The Expert, Featured

    << Locations P Portuguese Red Wine - Liquid Decadence
    Silkbush Mountain Vineyards Altitude - Cheeky! >>

    About Jon Thorsen

    Author and independent wine consumer helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. Sign up for my FREE GUIDE to learn how! Read more about me...

    Reverse Wine Snob Insider Deals Header Square
    Limited Time offers with amazing discounts just for our readers. Don't Miss Out!

    About Reverse Wine Snob

    Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good! Jon Thorsen is an independent wine consumer who has been helping millions of people (3.9 million visits in 2021 alone) find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. If you're new to Reverse Wine Snob® sign up for my free guide and don't miss our exclusive Insider Deals! Read more about Reverse Wine Snob in the news and about me.

    Reverse Wine Snob Logo

    Join over 400,000 followers on social media!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Helpful Links

    • - Ask The Expert Series
    • - Browse by Variety, Region, etc.
    • - Buy My Book on Amazon
    • - Get Our Free Guide
    • - How To Choose A Good Bottle of Wine
    • - Insider Deals
    • - Insider Deal FAQ
    • - Printable Lists of Recommended Wines
    • - Ten Tenets of Reverse Wine Snobbery
    • - The Rating System
    • - Wine Tasting Basics

    • - Advertise
    • - Contact Info
    • - Submit Samples for review

    How To Drink Great Wine...Without Breaking The Bank

    Tired of wasting money on bad wine? Sign up for our Free Guide!

    No commitments, no spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    Best Of Lists!

      • - Aldi Wine
      • - Best Red Wines of 2021
      • - Box Wines
      • - Cabernet Sauvignon
      • - Chardonnay
      • - Chianti
      • - Costco Wine
      • - French Wines
      • - Italian Wines
      • - Malbec
      • - Merlot
      • - Oregon Wines
      • - Organic Wines
      • - Pinot Noir
      • - Red Blends
      • - Rosé
      • - Riesling
      • - Sauvignon Blanc
      • - Spanish Wines
      • - Sparkling Wine
      • - Syrah
      • - Thanksgiving Wines
      • - Trader Joe's Wine
      • - Vegan Wines
      • - Zinfandel
      • And Many More Best of Lists

    Reverse Wine Snob®: Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

    Copyright © 2011–2022 · Reverse Wine Snob, LLC. | Privacy, Editorial & Advertising Policy