Chile + Argentina Flashcards
Chile is wedged between which 2 natural boundaries?
- Pacific Ocean to the west
- Andes Mountains to the east
when did viticulture first arrive in Chile?
who brought it there?
- mid-1500s (16th century)
- brought to Chile by Spaniards
how long is Chile?
2,670 miles long
± 4300 km
how wide is Chile?
at its widest point, just about 100 miles wide
± 160 km wide (1 mile = 1.6 km)
what is the name of the ocean current that cools down Chile?
Humboldt Current
It ushers in cool, moist air + fog
what is the name of the desert at the northern end of Chile?
Atacama Desert
what is the name of the mountain range that creates a rain shadow in Chile?
Coastal Range
Same name as the range in the Pacific Northwest!
thanks to the rain shadow from Chile’s coastal range, what is the climate for the wine growing areas between the coastal range and the andes?
warm mediterranean
does the climate in Chile become hotter or cooler as you move further south?
cooler
in chile, where are vineyards planted?:
a. valley floors
b. foothills/ hillsides
c. high elevation
d. all of the above
all of those areas.
The wines’ expressions, colour, and intensity will vary from all of these sites.
in the 19th century, the majority of the vines that were planted in Chile came from…..
bordeaux
what are the 2 main white grapes in Chile?
- chardonnay
- sauvignon blanc
white grapes account for only 25% of all plantings in Chile
what are the 3 main red grapes in Chile?
- cabernet sauvignon
- merlot
- carmenere
for a long time, many thought that the carmenere planted in Chile was this other grape.
merlot
what vineyard pest does not exist in Chile?
why?
phylloxera
phylloxera does not exist in Chile thanks to:
- Chile’s geographical isolation
- Chile’s strict agricultural quarantine laws
where does Chile’s irrigation water come from?
andes snowmelt
what wine laws (or appellation system) does Chile use?
DO (Denominación de Origen)
are hybrids allowed to use the DO System in Chile?
no, only Vitis vinifera
what are the 6 regional DOs in Chile from north to south?
- Atacama
- Coquimbo
- Aconcagua
- Valle Central
- Sur
- Austral
of Chile’s 6 DOs, which 2 are most important?
- Aconcagua DO
- Valle Central DO
both have noteworthy subregions nested within them
if a bottle of chilean wine has one of the 6 DOs listed on the label as its DO, what minimum percent of the wine must come from that DO?
75%
If a bottle of Chilean wine has a grape listed on the label, the wine must be what minimum percent of that stated grape?
75%
If a bottle of chilean wine has a vintage listed on the label, the wine must be what minimum precent of that stated vintage?
75%
Even though Chile subscribes to the 75% minimum rule for stated grape, vintage, and DO, what minimum do they actually follow?
Chile exceeds that minimum and follows the EU’s 85% rule for stated grape, vintage and DO.
what are the nested subregional DOs of Aconcagua?
- Casablanca Valley DO
- San Antonia DO
Note that Aconcagua DO also has the nested, subregional Aconcagua Valley DO
Casablanca Valley DO and San Antonia Valley DO share the same climate.
What is the climate?
Where are they located (near or far from the coast)?
Cool maritime, very near the coast and west of the Coastal Range
what are the main grapes, both red and white, of Casablanca Valley DO and San Antonio Valley DO?
- chardonnay
- sauvignon blanc
- pinot noir
valle central DO in Chile is located between two mountain ranges: the … to the east and the … to the west
Andes Mountains to the east
Coastal Mountains to the west
Valle Central makes what percent of Chile’s overall wine production?
80%
Most of it is everyday table wine
what is the climate of Valle Central?
warm - hot
is valle central better known for white grapes or red grapes?
What are the grapes?
Red grapes:
- cabernet sauvignon
- merlot
- Carmenere
what are the 4 DOs of valle central from north to south?
- Maipo Valley DO
- Rapel DO
- Curicó DO
- Maule DO
what is valle central’s most important subregion?
Maipo Valley DO
what grape is Maipo Valley DO best known for?
cabernet sauvignon
which South American country is the largest in terms of wine production?
Hint: it’s also the 5th largest producer in the world
argentina
when were vineyards in Argentina revived, and by whom?
- late 1800s
- By Italian and Spanish immigrants who were fleeing their European countries from famine; they brought their traditions of winemaking (and vine cuttings!) from their homelands
which South American country is on the eastern side of the andes
argentina
the andes mountains create a … … for Argentina, making the wine regions on the eastern side very warm, dry , and sunny
rain shadow
the rain shadow Argentina experiences frost he andes means that it’s a very warm and dry region. because of this warmth, where is the best place for grapes to grow?
high altitudes so the grapes can benefit from cool nights (diurnal shifts)
what is the average altitude at which grapes are grown in Argentina?
3000 ft asl (915 meters)
what is the white grape Argentina is known for?
What’s it like?
- torrontés
- intensely fragrant and floral
what are the 4 red grapes of Argentina?
- malbec
- bonarda
- cabernet sauvignon
- syrah
why don’t Argentina’s vineyards suffer from fungal disease?
because Argentina is in a rain shadow which keeps vineyards dry and low in humidity
because Argentina is in a rain shadow, it doesn’t get a lot of rain.
Is Argentina allowed to irrigate, and if so, from where do they source the irrigation water?
- irrigation is necessary in argentina
- snowmelt from the andes
what irrigation systems are used to irrigate the vineyards in Mendoza IG?
- flood irrigation (aka furrow irrigation)
2. drip irrigation
what is the Zonda?
What can it do?
- a strong wind that blows down from the andes into Argentina in the lat spring / early summer;
- can adversely affect the flowering stage in a vine’s annual cycle by blowing off flowers (which means a smaller crop yield at harvest)
what is a weather hazard in Argentina?
summertime hail, which can destroy berries and perforate leaves making them unable to photosynthesize
what wine laws are used to demarcate regions in Argentina?
- IG (Indicaciones Geográficas)
- DOC (Denominacíon de Origen Controlada)
What do the IGs and DOCs demarcate in Argentina?
IGs = wine growing areas that are delimited by geographical or political boundaries DOCs = wine growing areas that grow specific grapes, practice particular viticultural methods, and have specific ageing requirements.
Basically, the DOC is more strict and focused than the IG system
name 3 important IGs in Argentina
- Salta IG
- Mendoza IG
- Patagonia IG
what is the important subregion of Salta IG?
Cafayate Ig
salta IG is argentina’s most … region
a. northern
b. southern
c. western
a. norhternmost
what is the climate of salta IG?
Where are grapes grown in Salta?
overall it’s a warm climate, but grapes ar grown at high elevations so they can benefit from cooler air.
salta IG’s vineyards are known for being some of the … est … in the world
highest elevation
some are planted at nearly 10,000ft asl
what are the grapes that grown in Salta IG?
Torrontes
malbec
what is the climate of Mendoza IG?
super dry and continental
the vineyards elevations plays a role, though, in temperatures and diurnal shifts
what is the main red grape of Mendoza IG?
malbec
which IG of Argentina is the largest viticultural region?
Mendoza IG
at what elevations are most vines in Mendoza IG planted?
2,000 - 4,000 ft asl
what are Mendoza IG’s important subregions?
- Luján de Cuyo DOC
2. Uco Valley IG
Patagonia IG is Argentina’s most …. region
a. northern
b. southern
c. western
b. southernmost
what are the grapes grown in Patagonia IG?
- torrontes
- malbec
- cabernet sauvignon
- pinot noir
why is elevation so important for viticulture in Argentina?
Because Argentina’s wine regions are so warm, sunny, and arid, if the vineyards were on the valley floor they’d just sunbaked.
! Planting the vineyards at higher elevations helps with maintaining freshness in the grapes and slows their development overnight
