South America Flashcards
What is the name of the hot, dry wind from the west that can affect vines in Argentina?
The Zonda
What are soils like in Argentina?
What is the climate like?
Alluvial, young, and with lots of large stones at higher elevations.
Arid continental, but due to high altitudes, there is significant diurnal fluctuation.
What producer makes what bottling from among the highest vineyards in the world in Argentina?
Where is it and how high is it?
Bodegas Colome, “Altura Maxima”
Salta at 3,111 meters
What makes Argentinian Malbec different from other regions like Cahors?
Malbec was introduced to Argentina in 1853, and vines today are based on the mass selection of those vines.
Cahors and other regions are more likely to use selected clones.
What is another name for the Bonarda of Argentina?
Corbeau in Savoie
Charbono in California
It is unrelated to Italian Bonarda
What accounts for the large number of Italian immigrants in Argentina?
The Constitution of Argentina of 1853 prohibited barriers to immigration in an attempt to encourage European immigration.
War and political upheaval further encouraged immigration. Nearly 80% of those Italians who immigrated were agricultural labor or unskilled.
What is the important sub-region of Salta that accounts for the greatest amount of quality wine making?
Calchaqui Valley
What was the first DOC of Argentina?
When was it and who pushed for it?
What distinguishes it?
Lujan de Cuyo
1993 by Luigi Bosca
The region is positioned at the edge of the Andes Mountains, so it is higher elevation.
What is Gualtallary?
A region situated within Tupungato in the Uco Valley.
It is higher elevation (1600m) with limestone in its soils, and plays hosts to some very well regarded and expensive bottlings.
Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard -"RIver Stones" $188 -"Mundus Bacillus Terrae" $257 PerSe -"Uni del Bonnesant" $850
Describe “Cheval des Andes”
A product of collaboration between Cheval Blanc and Terrazas de los Andes.
It is a Bordeaux blend that is generally Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec dominant.
The vineyard is located in Las Compuertas in Lujan de Cuyo.
Describe “Paraje Altamira”
A wine district in southern Uco Valley, it lies along the banks of the Tunuyan River, and its soils are very gravelly with some volcanic elements.
- Familia Zuccardi “Finca Piedra Infinita,” Gravescal (from a small 0.73ha plot) $273
- Achaval Ferrer “Finca Altamira” $119
In what warmer department of Mendoza does Cabernet Sauvignon tend to thrive?
Maipu
From North to South, what are the departments of the Uco Valley?
Tupungato
Tunuyan
San Carlos
What is South America’s southernmost wine producing region? What contributes to its climate?
What two sub-regions are increasingly well known?
What grape is becoming iconic? What is a bottling?
Patagonia. Cooler climate thanks to lower latitude and Antarctic influences
Neuquen and Rio Negro
Bodega Chacra, Pinot Noir, “Treinta y Dos 32,” Rio Negro $112 (Vineyard was established in 1932)
Who is the owner of Bodega Chacra? What are they better known for?
Incisa della Rocchetta family, known for Sassicaia
What region in Argentina is well known for producing fine Chardonnay?
Tupungato
What is the grape parentage of Malbec?
Prunelard x Magdeleine Noire des Charentes
What is Argentina’s most planted white grape?
Pedro Gimenez
Unrelated to Pedro Ximenez, and generally used for bulk wine and distillate
What do Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate on wine labels?
Reserva White: 6 months of age
Reserva Red: 1 year of age
Gran Reserva White: 1 year of age
Gran Reserva Red: 2 years of age
They also limit maximum yields
What Argentinian winery was the first to employ the services of Michel Rolland?
Bodegas Etchart
They are based in Cafayate in Salta
North to South, what are the three wine producing regions of Cuyo?
La Rioja
San Juan
Mendoza
What is the most famous winegrowing region within La Rioja?
What is the specialty?
Famatina Valley
Torrontes
What are the DOCs of Argentina?
Lujan de Cuyo DOC
San Rafael DOC
What type of vine training system is Parral?
Pergola
What are the parent grapes of Torrontes Riojano?
Criolla Chica x Muscat of Alexandria
What Argentinian producer bottles “Estrella?” What’s the story behind it?
Weinert
The original vintage of 1977 was held in cask for 19 years before being bottled and released.
The next vintage was 1994.
From North to South, what are the DOs of Chile?
Atacama Coquimbo Aconcagua Valle Central Sur Austral Region
What cold water current cools the Chilean coastline?
What DO is most affected by it?
Humboldt Current
Valle Central
What are the minimum vintage, varietal, and denomination of origin percentages for Chile?
75%
In practice, most wineries adhere to the EU’s 85% rule.
What region in Coquimbo is gaining attention for it’s cool climate Syrah?
Elqui Valley
What iconic Chilean wine placed ahead of Chateau Lafite and Chateau Margaux in a 2004 tasting in Berlin?
Where is it made?
Sena, a single-estate, single-wine operation founded by Errazuriz and Robert Mondavi in 1995. It is a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Bordeaux Blend.
It is made in the Panquehue commune of the Valle del Aconcagua DO, which is an Entre Cordilleras region.
$140
What labels indicating geography may be affixed to bottles in addition to DO?
Costa (by the coast)
Entre Cordilleras (Valley)
Andes
What region has rapidly become well known for crisp, fresh Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay?
Casablanca, in Aconcagua
From North to South, what are the subregions of Central Valley DO?
Maipo Valley DO
Rapel Valley DO
Curico Valley DO
Maule Valley DO
What is the most well established growing region in Chile? What subregion specifically plays host to well known bottlings?
Maipo Valley DO
Puente Alto, which is an Andes region
“Almaviva” is a joint project between what two producers?
What is their second wine?
Baron Phillipe de Rothschild (Mouton-Rothschild) and Conca y Toro $182
EPU is their second wine
Who makes “Don Melchior?”
Who makes “Vinedo Chadwick?”
Who makes “Casa Real?”
Conca y Toro $115
Errazuriz $350
Santa Rita $100
What are some premium bottlings of Carmenere from Chile?
Conca y Toro “Carmin de Puemo” $140
Errazuriz “Kai” $100
Montes “Purple Angel” $100
Who makes “Clos Apalta?”
Who makes “Alpha M?”
Where are they made?
Casa Lapostolle $125
Montes $100
They are made in Apalta DO, which is located within the Colchagua Valley DO, itself located within the Maipo Valley DO. It is a south-facing, horseshoe-shaped valley.
North to South, what are the subregions of Sur DO?
Itata Valley DO
Bio Bio Valley DO
Malleco Valley DO
Who are some notable producers of Pais in Chile?
Pedro Parra, “Vinista”
A Los Vinateros Bravos, “Volcanico”
Gonzalez Bastias, “Matorral”
Explain the general soil types of Chile
What time of climate is it generally?
Granite (with some Schist and Slate) to the west of the country.
Deep clay, loam, silt, and sand are more common in the central plain between the Coastal Range and the Andes.
Mediterranean, sunny and dry. Rainfall levels increase as you move South.
What Catalonian is a notable producer of Chilean Pinot Noir?
What notable sparkling wine do they also make?
Miguel Torres “Escaleras de Empedrado”
Slate soils in the Maule Valley. Inspired by Priorat.
They also make the Estelado sparkling Pais.
In what region is Pisco production prevalent?
Atacama
What is VIGNO?
An informal grouping of producers formed in 2010 to promote old vine Carignan in the Maule Valley.
Min. 30 year old vines
In what year was Chile’s DO system introduced?
1994
What is the minimum ABV for any wine in Chile?
11.5%
What are the parent grapes for Carmenere?
Gros Cabernet x Cabernet Franc
What immigrant group was at the center of Uruguay’s wine beginnings?
Basque
What is another name for Tannat in Uruguay?
What makes Tannat in Uruguay special?
Harriague
