Ch.17 – Chile Flashcards
1
Q
One card on Chilean Sparkling wines
A
- 19th C with Valdivieso
- Grown rapidly recently
- Mainly tank fermented and fruity (Brut & slightly sweeter)
- A few trad method
- Main garpes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Sauvignon Blanc
- Most inexpensive, some in export markets mid-priced
- Acceptable to v good quality
2
Q
Where grapes grown for Chilean Sparkling
A
- Cooler coastal areas, cooler Andean foothills or milder regions in South (some cheap from warm Central Valley)
- Best quality (high acidity) Pacific or altitude
- Best wines from specified areas, cooled by Pacific
- Casablanca
- San Antonio (Leyda)
- Limari
- coastal Curicó
- Bío Bío (southerly latitude, ocean-influenced)
- Itata and Maule historically grow Moscatel and Pais
3
Q
Irrigation and harvest in Chile
A
- Irrigation in all areas except Itata (plenty of rain)
- Harvest early Feb to early March, several weeks earlier than regular harvest, as you’d expect
- Harvest mainly hand-picked because of steep slopes, bush vines (and cheap labour)
- Some machine harvest
4
Q
Winemaking in Chile
A
- 90% tank method
- Very modern, new equipment, so sector grown quickly
- Chardonnay commonly used
- Also Sauvignon Blanc to retain aromatic primary fruit
- 10% traditional method
- chardonnay & pinot noir
- some Pais (Blanc de Noirs or rosé)
- Moscatel
5
Q
Wine law in Chile
A
- Labelling for residual sugar follows EU
6
Q
Describe Chilean Sparkling Wine Business
A
- A few very large cos then several small ones
- Main producers Valdivieso (over 1/3), Vina Mar, Undurraga, Conch y Toro, Cono Sur, Miguel Torres
- Domestic sales 2/3 of production, growing fast, esp at premium end
- Consumption per capita 1.2l, 95% Chilean Sparkling
- Exports growing, Japan (over 1/3 export market, Columbia, Brazil