Wines of the Andes

Andes backdrop for Mendoza vineyards

While browsing in your favorite wine shop for South American wines, the ones you're most likely to find are from Argentina and Chile. You might spot the odd wine from Uruguay or Brazil, but the best selections you're likely to see are from South America's two main producers. 

History is uncertain concerning the introduction of European varieties into South America. One theory says that Spanish explorers brought vines into Peru.  Another version maintains that European settlers carried dried grape seeds with them, while another account has missionary monks bringing vines from Europe, for the Eucharist.

However they got there, vinifera vines were introduced in Argentina and Chile sometime after the beginning of the 16th century.  Coming forward a few hundred years opens a current window on South America's major wine regions.

Argentina

A brief glance can help to understand how Argentina is unique  among South American  wine regions. Uruguay and Brazil's Do Sul state share an eastern border, with Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru along the northern part of Argentina. 

South America's massive Andes mountains forms the natural north-south border separating the two countries.  Argentina, the continent's leading wine producer, forms most of the eastern flank of the snow-capped Andes. 

Argentina's wine history is rich and varied, and like other world wine regions, it  was developed and expanded by Catholic missionaries that spread the gospel by supplying wine for the spirit and the stomach.

Mendoza Valley, Argentina's prime wine region, lies at the eastern foot of the Andes, hundreds of miles from the Atlantic Ocean.  Although the majority of the vineyards in the Mendoza are on the relatively flat valley floor, cooler growing conditions are achieved at higher altitudes. In the northern districts of Jujoy and Salta, full-bodied Bordeaux and Rhone varieties are planted between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. 

Malbec was introduced by the mid-19th century, along with other French varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Charbono, known as Bonarda in Argentina.  Although Malbec has lost interest in Bordeaux, the red grape  has become an all-star variety in Argentina.  

The center of production for Malbec in Mendoza, is Lujan de Cuyo.  East of Lujan, the district of Maipu is known for rich, concentrated red wines. Other districts are Uco Valley and southernmost San Rafael, with its reputation for concentrated red varietals.

A selection of white grapes is more limited in Mendoza. Chardonnay is widely planted, especially in the Calchaqui Valley.  But Argentina's signature white wine is Torrontes, with its attractive aromatic, floral character.  

North of Mendoza, the province of San Juan is Argentina's second biggest wine producing region. Warmer than Mendoza, San Juan is known for Malbec, Syrah and Torrontes. 

Further north, the adjoining regions of Salta, Jujoy, Tucuman and Catamarca are known for high altitude vineyards.  The benefit of going higher is more than 300 sun days a year, but the downside is lower yields.  A variety of grapes is planted in the four regions, including Tannat, the red variety that has done well in neighboring Uruguay.

                          

Chile

Whether by intention or chance occurrence, the focus on wine is different for Chile and Argentina.  Chile's numerous wine regions are protected from continental heat by the Andes mountains and by the cold Pacific Ocean, along the coast of Peru in the north, to Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America.  

No country in the world is as restricted as Chile about where vineyards can be planted. Although Chile is nearly 3,000 miles long, the main area of wine production is concentrated in an area, 60 miles at the widest point, so the vineyard sites are squeezed between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean.   

A counterpart in the Northern Hemisphere would be southern Spain to North Africa. In Chile, though, the heat at these latitudes is mitigated by the cold Humboldt current, running the 3,000 mile length of Chile's coastline. 

Chile has no fewer than 17 wine regions, from Maipo, the largest and most celebrated for Cabernet Sauvignon, to Casablanca, the smallest, with a reputation for Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

North of the capital city of Santiago is Aconcagua, an east-west region, known for classic Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, principally from Viña Errazuriz. 

Cool climate whites, notably Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are the key wines of  Casablanca, a small region situated close to the cooling Pacific Ocean.  The icy Humboldt current provides the cooling and morning fog.  Although white wines built the region's international reputation, Casablanca is also home to Chile's best Pinot Noir.

Maipo, Curico and Maule are the leading producers in Chile's Central Valley.  Maipo is the most famous, especially for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but also Merlot and Carmenere.  With more than 84,000 acres under vines, Maule is Chile's largest wine region, mainly for Chardonnay and Semillon. 

There are hundreds of wines, from as many wine areas, to chose from, but the dynamic wineries in Argentina and Chile, offer variety and good value. 

 

Next post: Marvelous Mendocino

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