South American Tasting

Although considered “New World”, there are many old world producers making their wines in Argentina and Chile as climatic and soil conditions lend themselves to the potential for outstanding wines. However, there are a number of uniquely indigenous grapes with their own profile. Our tasting looked at both local and international grapes. The discussion “Does South America make unique wines or are they simply another supplier of stylized wines?”

Given the robustness of these wines, we have chosen a mixed meat grill from Coppi’s to match our wines. It should be an exciting evening for wine and food.

Whites:

Torrontes, Alta Vista Premium 2006 (Argentina)

Chardonnay, Calina Reserva,2006(Chile)

Reds:

Carmenere, Winemaker’s Lot 138,

Concha y Toro, 2005 (Chile)

Malbec, Pequenas Producciones, Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon,2003 (Argentina)

*Malbec, Bodegas Catena Zapata, 2003(Argentina)

*Proprietary Blend, Clos de Los Siete, 2002(Argentina)

Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserva de Familia, Santa Carolina, 2004 (Chile)

Merlot, Cono Sur, 2006 (Chile)

* As a change of pace, we voted between these two wines to select as our dinner wine; note: it will be a “first past the post” outcome as a tribute to our provincial election.

Argentina

Argentina is the fifth largest of the world’s largest wine-producing countries. The winemaking history dates back to the 16th century. The climate of Argentina is similar to the Andes and it is this similarity that supports the Argentinean wine industry. Argentina is mainly an arid landscape that profits from irrigating waters off the mountains. Argentina’s warmer inland region encourages vine growth down the entire length of the country. Many varietals in Argentina reflect its Italian and Spanish immigrant population. Italians brought Sangiovese, Barbera, Dolcetto, and Bonarda. Bonarda, which one rarely sees inside its indigenous Piedmont, is a medium bodied red wine similar to Barbaresco. The Spanish brought Tempranillo, Spain’s answer to Cabernet Sauvignon, and Torrontés, a white wine grape from Galicia.In the north, the vineyards lie at the same latitude as Morocco; and in the south, vineyards share latitude with New Zealand. One of the vital aspects to growing quality wine grapes here is altitude, with vineyards planted at 2,000 and 3,000 feet to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. Argentine wines are made from grapes such as traditional Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and also varieties like Tempranillo, Bonarda, Barbera, Torrontés and Malbec.

The economy is in flux and there is a wait-and-see approach by many outside investors, which to date have included the likes of Lafite Rothschild (jointly producing with Catena Caro, a Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon blend to be released in October), The Hess Collection (which distributes Bodega Norton), Kendall-Jackson (Tapiz brand), Cordiniu, and Moet & Chandon.

Argentina also suffers in comparison with Chile, its neighbor across the Andes mountains. Chile positioned itself much earlier with value-priced Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot

Hugh Johnson thinks Sauvignon Blanc has a better future in Argentina than Chardonnay because “it loves the heat.” Generally, Sauvignon Blanc in Argentina gets no oak treatment.

Link to Argentina Wineries

Link to Wines of Argentina

This site makes you want to visit.

CHILE

The Misionaries traveling with the conquistadores brought cuttings from Spain to Chile in the mid-sixteenth century. Finding the area around one of the first settlements, Santiago, to be close to their own Meditarrean climate, and the valleys fertile, the missionaries planted the black pais grape to produce their sacramental wine. Farmers joined the missionaries, and the first plantings gave fruit for more than religious purposes. These commercial wines proved to be popular and were exported to other countries. By the early 1800s, the wines from Chile were proving such a competition for Spanish export wines that the Spanish crown ordered heavy taxes and restrictions followed by acres of vineyards destroyed. (No wonder the Chileans revolted against the Spanish monarchy!)

Following the wars of independence, immigration from Europe brought French farmers and vines, notably Bordeaux cuttings. In the 1870's the Phylloxera louse spread rapidly through European and North American vineyards. Isolated by natural conditions, the Andes on one side, the Pacific on the other, and the barren deserts to the north, the vineyards of Chile were not damaged. When the affected vineyards began the process of replanting, they turned to Chile for healthy plants. Some of the earliest Chilean vines still produce grapes, and Chile remains free of the disease while the rest of the winemaking world continues to suffer.

Casa Lapostolle, south of Santiago, epitomizes the influences of outside experts. The Marnier-Lapostolle family, which owns Château de Sancerre in the Loire Valley, and makes the famous Grand Marnier liqueur, sent daughter Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle to Chile in the mid-1990s with $12 million to build an ultramodern winery in the middle of a very traditional, old grape-growing area. She settled on Chile's Colchagua wine subregion, forming a partnership with the Chilean Rabat family, which had run a family winery there since 1927, buying acres of vines already planted, some of which today are more than 100 years old. For expert help, she turned to Michel Rolland, owner of Château Le Bon Pasteur in Bordeaux's Pomerol region and consulting winemaker to wineries from France to Argentina.

In some international competitions, Chilean wines have ranked very highly. For example, in the Berlin Wine Tasting of 2004, 36 European experts blind tasted wines from two vintages each of eight top wines from France, Italy and Chile. The first and second place wines were two Cabernet-based reds from Chile: Viñedo Chadwick 2000 and Sena 2001.

Link to Chilean Wineries

Mendoza, Argentin

Santa Cruz