29 - Argentina Flashcards
How have changes in domestic consumption and economic openness impacted the Argentine wine industry?
Production was previously sustained via very high per capita domestic consumption of cheap wine made with Criolla grapes
Domestic consumption fell dramatically in 1970s
Meanwhile economic openness:
- Encouraged FDI
- Wine consultants e.g. Michel Rolland
- Cheap peso meant price competitive and cheap to invest
How is Argentina able to produce high volumes of good quality wine despite many vineyards being located at low latitudes?
High altitude crucial to moderating high temps - most wine regions planted 500-1000m ASL (up to 3,300m) in the west of the country
Diurnal temp can be up to 20c
Low latitude + high altitude = intense sunlight plus high UV –> high tannins and anthocyanins
What natural factor gives Argentina its continental climate? What does this mean for viticulture?
Andes –> rainshadow, rainfall as low as 200mm
- Irrigation essential - meltwater distributed by dams and channels
- Lowers disease pressure
What other natural factor reduces disease pressure? What are the downsides of this and how can it be mitigated?
Strong winds from mountains reduce humidity e.g. the hot Zonda
Blows in late spring and early summer –> water stress + flowering and fruit set + damage to grapes
Planting poplar trees as windbreaks
What other natural hazards exist in Argentina?
- Hail - damage grapes and reduce yield –> netting v. expensive or have sites across regions e.g. Mendoza
- Spring frost in flat or lower elevation areas esp. Mendoza
How does El Nino impact Argentina?
Every 2-10 years –> higher than average rainfall and hailstorms –> crop damage, disease, yields
E.g. 2016 - production down as much as 40% in Mendoza
How does soil vary in different parts of the country?
Why are calcareous soils especially prized?
Mostly alluvial
High altitude more calcareous rock, little organic matter –> low yields
Lower altitude gravel, sand, silt
Lowest altitude loamy-clay
Calcareous soils retain water and are cooler –> e.g. Paraje Altamira in Uco Valley
How did vine pull schemes in the 1970s/80s impact hectarage, grape varieties planted and old vines.
Ha fell from 300,000 –> 200,000
Lots of Malbec scrubbed up
Nonetheless, 30% of vines are >40yrs old
Describe the two types of irrigation widely practised. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
Flood Irrigation water released when needed, equivalent to a rainstorm, used in 70% of vineyards
+ Cheap to operate
+ Water drains deep into soil, encouraging root growth
- Water intensive –> shortages in Mendoza etc. –> water from bore holes as alternative
- Only suitable for flat vineyards
Drip irrigation water released slowly from hose pipes run along trellising
+ Uses less water –> sustainable
+ Cheaper than levelling vineyard
- Expensive to install and maintain –> water must be filtered, drippers can clog
- Can encourage shallow roots which make vines dependent on irrigation
Why is the timing of irrigation important?
Larger amounts during winter and limited amounts during the growing season (RDI) –> encourage root development and prevent vigourousness
What traditional training system is widely used and for which styles of wine?
What is becoming more popular and why?
Parral (pergola) which provides shade and keeps grapes away from hot earth –> Torrontes and vigorous, high yielding Criolla varieties
VSP - enable canopy mngt (important for black grapes) and drip irrigation
Why might Argentine growers continue to graft their vines in the absence of phylloxera?
Selection of rootstocks allows for resistance to drought conditions and nematodes
How has investment improved viticulture in Argentina? (5)
- Drip irrigation –> enables RDI
- Improved canopy mngt –> VSP
- Clonal section Dr Nicolas Catena on Malbec
- Picking times
- Research on soil types esp. importance of calcareous soils
While organic viticulture is becoming more popular, why does the number of certified organic vineyards remain low?
- Cost of certification
- Not a distinguishing factor given how little most vineyards spray
Describe the characteristics and style produced by the criolla varieties.
Pink-skinned grapes such as Cereza or Criolla Grande
Produce inexpensive wines for the domestic market
20% of vineyard area
Describe the characteristics of Malbec including vigour, ripening, flavour and structural characteristics.
How can it be blended?
How have plantings developed?
Vigorous
Mid-ripening
Deep colour
Ripe blackberry, plum
High alcohol, high/soft tannin, full body
Styles range from cheap and fruity –> structured and age-worthy
Blended usually single varietal but may have Bdx, Bonard, Syrah added –> may still be labelled as Malbec
Plantings up 350% 1995-2018 as market shifted from white high vol –> HQ reds
How can producers take advantage of different sites when making Malbec?
Malbec’s structure/quality can vary significantly.
Cooler sites have med(+) acid, med(+)/firm tannin and fresher flavours incl. floral and herbal
Warmer sites have less acid, softer tannin, more alcohol, riper flavours
Blending these can:
- Improve balance
- Bulk up £££ wine with £ wine
- Achieve consistent flavour
How do Malbec clones in Argentina differ from those in France?
Clonal research has revealed they have smaller berries and bunches
Describe the characteristics of Bonarda including ripening, yield, flavour and structural characteristics.
Does it work with oak?
How may it commonly be blended?
Where is it commonly planted and what styles do these regions tend to produce?
Late ripening / high yielding
Deep colour
Red and black fruit, med(+) acid, med tannin, med alcohol
Usually overwhelmed by oak - where used large / old
Can be blended with Cab and Malbec –> these add colour, structure
Fruity, high vol wines from warmer parts of San Juan and Mendoza for domestic consumption (85%)
Premium from old vines Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and the east of Mendoza.
Which black international grapes varieties are widely planted? Where and what style of wines do they produce?
Cabernet Sauvignon planted all over, more sensitive to temp extremes and fungal disease, careful site selection –> mainly blended in with Malbec, some prem single varietal wines. Black currant, spicy, not typically herbaceous, high tannin
Syrah hotter areas in Mendoza and San Juan (more planted than Malbec) Ripe black fruit, high alcohol and full-body –> fresher flavours and firmer tannin in cooler areas
Tempranillo med tannin, med-full body, red fruit, oak
Merlot plantings falling, Bdx style blends
Pinot Noir high elevation sites e.g. Patagonia and Uco Valley
Cab France, Petit Verdot and Tannat all increasing
Describe the evolution of red winemaking in Argentina.
Traditional large oak with some oxidation
Modern late harvest, temp controlled, new oak –> full body and ripe fruit
New Wave earlier picking for fresher style, wild yeast, whole bunch/berry ferments, less extraction, diversity of vessels e.g. Zuccardi
Super Premium Length ageing process often from singlevineyards
What grape is used to make rosé?
Malbec - rosé once a by-product, now grapes grown for purpose of making rosé
Describe the style of wine produced by Pedro Giménez. Where can you find examples of higher quality wine?
Neutral grape that is widely planted (less so given focus on reds) –> simple wine for domestic market
High altitude sites in Uco Valley –> earlier picking and cooler ferment gives more aromatic intensity, high acid, lower alcohol
Describe the characteristic of Torrontés Riojano including vigour, ripening and flavour and structural characteristics.
Where is it widely planted?
Which improvements in viti and vini have raised quality?
Where are the best examples made?
Vigourous cross of Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica
Early ripening –> can easily become over-ripe –> style
Aromatic floral with more lemon, grapefruit, peach in better examples
Can often lack acidity, high alcohol, bitter finish
Widely planted in Mendoza, San Juan and La Rioja
Lower yields, early harvesting, temp control, barrel fermentation –> balance, less overtly floral
Cafayate (Salta) makes especially good examples some of which are age-worthy
Some examples blended with Sauvignon Blanc - why?
Which other white grapes are grown in Argentina?
Chardonnay full range of styles and prices, Uco Valley known for premium with med(+)-high acid, ripe flavours and some oak
Semillon, Chenin traditional sources of cheap wine
Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier showing promise
Outline Argentina’s three-tier system used to classify wines.
IP (Indicación de Procedencia) large geographical areas
IG (or GI, Indicación Geográfica) meet a certain quality made from a specific
geographical area that is considered capable of producing quality wines
DOC for wines from a specific geographical area with legislated winemaking criteria, only two: Luján de Cuyo and San Rafael (both Mendoza), take up by producers limited so far
GI/DOC wines must be made exclusively from grapes grown in that area
Vintage >85% of grapes from that year
Variety >85%
How has Argentina’s system of GIs changed in recent years?
What other terms can you find on the bottle?
GIs being created based on specific climates or soil types e.g. Paraje Altamira in San Carlos
Reserva 12mnths ageing (reds)/6mnths for whites and rose
Gran Reserva double
Describe why Mendoza is able to produce both inexpensive and super-premium wines.
Range of altitudes from 500m in Northern and Eastern Mendoza up to 1500m in the Uco Valley
- Within Central Mendoza - vineyards range from 600 - 1,100m
Topography Northern/Eastern Mendoza are on flat plains –> enables mechanisation and flood irrigation
Water availability Northern/Eastern Mendoza have access to Mendoza River –> plentiful water vs. drip irrigation in Uco Valley
Soils alluvial soils in lower regions have greater fertility vs. cooler limestone or clay soils e.g. Gualtallary in the Tupungato department
Latitude variation Southern Mendoza/San Rafael (DOC) 200km south of rest of the region –> moderates summer temps
Which departments within Mendoza are known for producing HQ Malbec?
Central Mendoza
1. Lujan de Cuyo DOC - 900-1,100m, many old vines with 24mnths ageing and 12 in oak
2. Lujan de Cuyo GI - Las Compuertas - higher altitude –> med(+) acid and firm tannins –> ageability
3. Maipu - lower vineyards, many old vines –> intensely fruity, full-bodied, softer tannins
Uco Valley
1. Tupungato - highest area of already high altitude Uco Valley, Gualtallary district is 1,100-1,600m + limestone soils –> herbal character
2. San Carlos - Paraje Altamira, stoney alluvial soils at marginally lower altitude than Tupungato
How large is Mendoza? What are the most widely planted varieties?
75% of total vineyard area and 2/3 of production
62% black grapes, 22% pink
Malbec is 25% of total
Which areas in Mendoza are especially known for black grapes other than Malbec?
Lujan de Cuyo
Maipú - lower sites for Tempranillo, Syrah, old vine Bonarda
Uco Valley
Tupungato - blends of Malbec and CF common
Tunuyán - some of the coolest sites in Mendoza –> Pinot Noir
San Carlos - Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah in warmer areas
Southern Mendoza
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Bonarda - not always HQ
Which areas in Mendoza are especially known for white grapes?
Central - Lujan de Cuyo - Las Compuertas - Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (elegant, balanced)
Uco Valley - Tupungato - Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
Southern Mendoza/San Rafael - Chenin Blanc –> fruity, balanced
How do the growing conditions and wines of Southern Mendoza differ from the rest of the country?
Latitude 200km south of Mendoza city –> cooler, longer summer –> more acid, medium body, more red fruit
Hail especially vulnerable in summer
Altitude generally lower 450-850m
Describe the growing conditions and wines of San Juan.
Lower and hotter although some sites up to 1500m e.g. Pedernal Valley
Lower sites planted with Criolla grapes - plantings and region has been shrinking
Syrah most widely planted with best examples from Pedernal Valley
Describe the wines of La Rioja. Name a significant producer from the region.
High vol from a range of grapes incl. Torrontés, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah
La Riojana co-operative
How large is Salta in terms of wine production?
How is it possible for Salta to ripen grapes despite its low latitude?
Why is it well known for high-quality wine?
Tiny - 4th largest but many times smaller than Mendoza
Altitudes 1500-3000m moderate temps
HQ due to:
- Intense sunlight –> anthocyanins, tannins
- Zonda strong so vines develop thick skin / lower yields
- Diurnal range from altitude
–> concentrated, full-bodied wines
Beside Malbec and other black grapes, what is Salta best known for?
Torrentes esp. in Cafayate - high altitude - aromatic, unoaked
Compare and contrast Patagonia’s growing environment with the rest of Argentina.
Which grapes is the region known for?
Altitude much lower ~400m
Latitude much higher (700km south of Mendoza) –> overall cooler, less intense sunlight, longer growing season
Rainfall lower than Mendoza 200m –> irrigation remains essential
Winds are constant from arid plain –> helps encourage thick-skinned grapes but can disrupt flowering and damage vines –> trees as wine breaks
Wide range Malbec most planted (floral), wide range of int’l varieties (Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sémillon, Chardonnay, Riesling)
Name a notable Patagonian sub-regions, describe any notable features of the growing environment and wine styles produced.
Río Negro many old vines of Sémillon, Pinot Noir and Malbec
Outline reasons for the boom in Argentine wine exports since the early 2000s.
Outline reasons for the decline in exports since 2018.
Boom now #5 by production vol
- Re-orientation towards quality Malbec –> 60% of exports
- Inward investment
- Cheap peso
- Entry into MERCOSUR FTA
Bust exports peaked in value in 2012
- Inflation causing higher costs
- Poor vintages due to El Nino (2016) and spring frost (2017)
- Restrictions on foreign-owned land
Outline efforts to promote Argentina’s wine industry and any potential threats.
- COVIAR body –> modernising image of Argentina
- World Malbec Day –> Wines of Argentina
What are some potential opportunities and threats to the industry?
Opportunities
- New regions being planted e.g. Patagonia
- New varieties and styles being produced
- Investment in Argentine wine production - cutting edge viti and vini
Threats
- Over-reliance on Malbec
- Inflation harming domestic consumption (80%)
- Inflation harming exports
Describe the production structure of the industry.
Relatively small - 60% of vineyards are >5ha and many family owned
FeCoViTa - 29 co-op collective is one of world’s largest producers by volume
