Alluvial Soil
Alluvial soil is deposited by moving water and is composed of a combination of gravel, sand and fine silt.
The role of Alluvial Soil in the Vineyard
Valley floors and the bases of hills have significant alluvium. Alluvium is the actual debris that accumulates to form alluvial soils. Because a lot of organic material is carried by water, these soils are usually quite fertile.
These soils around river valleys have nurtured many of mankind’s civilizations over the years. It is deposited in greater amounts in sections of the river where the current is slow. Finer alluvium is carried further by the running water.
Alluvium deposited by rivers is much newer than alluvium in bedrock. Older soils are often very desirable because time has allowed water to leech out much of the magnesium. High-quality wine soils have low levels of magnesium. Because magnesium is often deposited in flood plains, property selection is very important in these areas.
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