terra rossa

A red, clay-rich soil formed by the weathering of limestone bedrock in Mediterranean climates. The limestone dissolves in mildly acidic rainfall, and the insoluble residue — mostly iron oxides and clay — accumulates as a vivid red soil that fills the crevices and hollows of the karst surface beneath. Terra rossa gives the Mediterranean its red earth, its red-roofed villages, and some of its finest vineyards.