Terroir (/tεʀwaʀ/ in French) was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that geography bestowed upon them. It can be very loosely translated as "a sense of place" which is embodied in certain qualities, and the sum of the effects that the local environment has had on the manufacture of the product. Terroir is often italicized in English writing to show that it is a French loanword. The concept of terroir is at the base of the French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system that has been model for appellation and wine laws across the globe. At its core is the assumption that the land from the which the grapes are grown imparts a unique quality that is specific to that region. The amount of influence and the scope that falls under the description of terroir has been a controversial topic in the wine industry. J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 693-695 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0198609906