A new scientific study claims to have revealed for the first time how distinct differences in local strains of yeast can change the characteristics of a wine.
The winegrowers of Bordeaux and Burgundy hold the idea of terroir - how the climactic conditions interact with the soil and geography to give wines their individual characteristics - in the highest regard.
However, researchers from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland have detected distinct differences in the types of yeast used in the different regions of the country, according to an article in the Journal of the International Society for Microbial Ecology.
Conducted by Velimir Gayevskiy and Dr Matthew Goddard, the study investigated yeasts present on Chardonnay and Syrah grapes and how they fermented, collecting data in vineyards from three distinct wine regions in New Zealand.
"It's widely accepted that the interaction of climatic, geographic and soil conditions with different grape varieties serves to make regionally distinctive wines," Decanter reports Dr Goddard as saying.
"But for the first time, these findings suggest that yeasts could be part of that regional influence and of wine's terroir."
The scientist's previous work has established that New Zealand has its own genetically distinct type of wine yeast, but he does not believe the country is an isolated case.
"My gut feeling is that New Zealand isn't the only country that can objectively claim this difference," he said.
"I wouldn't be surprised if this was the same in other parts of the world."
The next stage in his research is to attempt to understand what is driving these differences, and how they create the different aromas.
Other scientific studies have recently suggested that the traditional grape varietals found in places such as Bordeaux and Burgundy may soon no longer be viable due to the impact of climate change.
Gregory V Jones, a climatologist at the University of Southern Oregon, predicts that by 2049 Bordeaux will have reached the upper temperature for growing the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes which form the backbone of its famous reds.