Terroir: A definition

Lots of people throw around the term terroir.  Tom at Fermentation has pointed out a very accessible definition in Rachel Forrest's piece in the Portsmouth Herald. 

Terrior: This is a big one to throw around at parties nowadays. The French term literally means "soil" and it refers to the way the place in which the grapes are grown affect the flavor and aroma of the wine. You know how some places in your garden are better for growing radishes and some aren’t? Same diff. Sun, soil, shade, rain - all that stuff goes into the wine as the terrior .

While I agree that some of the more complex definitions add details, I like the radish analogy and thought I would share it.