South America Flashcards
When did winemaking arrive to the New World?
Spanish conquistadores in the 16th century
Where is Chile located?
Chile stretches for nearly 3,000 miles up the west coast of South America, separated from the remainder of the continent by the Andes Mountains.
From north to south, the six regional Denominations of Origin (DOs) in Chile are……
Atacama Coquimbo Aconcagua the Valle Central (Central Valley) Sur (the Southern Regions), and a new area at the southernmost limit of grapegrowing in the country, the Austral Region.
What is Chile’s overall climate?
Moderating Maritime (but of course the climate varies all over the country)
What are the climates of Atacama and Coquimbo?
are dry and desert-like
What is the style of wine that is made in Atacama and Coquimbo?
with grapes historically destined for Pisco production or the table
Where are the most suitable vineyards for fine wine are where in Chile?
mostly situated in the Central Valley to the south of Santiago, where the proximity of the Andes cools nighttime temperatures, and along the coast, where the cold, maritime Humboldt Current cools the vines.
What does the Humboldt current do?
maritime Humboldt Current cools the vines. Although the Coastal Mountains (between the Central Valley and the Pacific) provide some shelter, the Humboldt Current forces cool sea air inland through the river valleys to affect the Central Valley vineyards during the day.
Is irrigation essential in the Central Valley and Aconcagua?
Yes
When was Chilean wine law established?
1995
What is Chilean wine law?
instituted the 75% rule: vintage, varietal, and denomination of origin must, if listed on the bottle, comprise a minimum 75% of the blend.
True or False: Many wineries observe an 85% minimum for all three categories, in order to comply with EU standards for export.
True
What is the minimum alcohol content for Chilean Law?
11.5%
Wines labeled Reserva and Reserva Especial must have a minimum 12% abv,
and wines labeled Reserva Privada and Gran Reserva require a minimum 12.5% abv
Reserva Especial and Gran Reserva wines spend mandatory time in (blank)
oak
What are the leading grape varieties in Chile?
Cabernet Sauvignon include Sauvignon Blanc (and Sauvignon Vert), Merlot, Chardonnay, Carmenère, and Syrah.
Muscat of Alexandria retains a large share of plantings, but the grape is used chiefly for distillation.
Red grapes account for over 70% of the total acreage in Chile.
What is the northernmost wine growing region in Chile?
Atacama
What style of wine is grown in Atacama?
iticulture is only possible through irrigation, and the region’s wines are generally distilled.
Pisco
Where else is Pisco and table grape production is also prominent where?
Coquimbo
Where does the water come from for irrigation?
Rivers descending from the Andes bring snow melt water
What are the 3 valleys/subregions in Coquimbo?
Northern:
Elqui - syrah is gaining attenion, cool, high, altitude vineyards
Limari - limestone soils, coastal cooler climate to be a match for chardonnay
Southern:
Choapa, is located in a narrow area to the south, where the Andes and Coastal Mountains converge.
Where does Aconcagua DO get its name?
from the Aconcagua River
What are the highest mountains in the Americas?
Aconcagua Peak
What are the soil types in the Aconcagua Valley?
generally alluvial
What are the main grapes of the Aconcagua Valley?
red grapes dominate the valley’s vineyards,
particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Although much of the Aconcagua valley is distressingly hot for grape-growing, the commune of (blank), home to (blank), one of Chile’s most prominent estates and winemaking families, experiences a more moderate climate.
Panquehue
Errázuriz
What happened in the 2004 Berlin Tasting?
What was the wine?
Who did it beat?
Errázuriz’s “Seña,” an iconic Bordeaux-style blend and one of the premier reds of Chile, placed ahead of both Château Lafite and Château Margaux in the 2004 Berlin Tasting—a milestone for the Chilean wine industry likened to the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris.
Name Aconcagua’s 3 subregions?
North to South
Aconcagua Valley
Casablanca
San Antonio
What is the climate of Casablanca and San Antonio?
are located along the coast, and are among Chile’s coolest new winemaking zones, in stark contrast to the heat of the interior Aconcagua Valley.
What are the main grapes of Casablanca DO?
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
What are the two DO Zones of San Antonio?
Leyda Valley and Lo Abarco
What are main grapes of San Antonio DO?
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Where is the Central Valley DO located?
located between the Andes and the hills and ranges along the coast, is Chile’s oldest and most established winemaking region
What are the 4 DO subregions North to South in the Central Valley DO?
Maipo Valley
Rapel Valley
Curicó
Maule Valley
What is Chile’s most famous winemaking area?
The warm Maipo Valley
Which region in Chile is the most classic for making cabernet sauvignon?
Maipo Valley
What are the main grapes of the Maipo Valley?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot, Syrah and Carmenère
Name some high-quality producers from the Maipo Valley?
Concha y Toro (Chile’s largest producer)
Santa Rita
Cousiño Macul
How does Cabernet Sauvignon thrive in the Maipo Valley?
Cabernet thrives on the well-drained, low slopes of the Andes
In the Maipo Valley some of Chile’s most premium red wines issue from the subregion of (blank)
Puente Alto
What high quality wines are produced in the Puente Alto subregion of the Maipo Valley?
Concha y Toro’s “Don Melchor”
Errázuriz’s “Viñedo Chadwick”
Cabernet Sauvignon varietal wines, and Almaviva winery, a joint project between Baron Philippe de Rothschild (Mouton-Rothschild) and Concha y Toro.
The 2000 vintage Viñedo Chadwick took first place in the 2004 Berlin Tasting
Where is the Rapel Valley and how is it divided?
The Rapel Valley
divided into
Cachapoal
Colchagua,
South of Maipo Valley
What are the main grapes of the Rapel Valley?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Carmenere
Cabernet Sauvignon’s position as the leading grape in both regions is firmly secure, Carmenère is growing in importance, and may soon eclipse Merlot as the valley’s second most cultivated grape.
Which valley is larger in the Rapel Valley?
Colchagua
What is the climate of Colchagua?
central portion of the valley, and is characterized by a warm climate and fertile soils.
What style of wine is historically coming out of Colchagua?
Bulk wine production
Although Colchagua is historically a bulk wine region, producers are finding success with premium wines sourced from higher-altitude eastern subregions with greater diurnal variation, such as San Fernando and Chimbarongo.
Which two areas were elevated to DO status in the Rapel Valley and when?
Los Lingues
Apalta
2018
There are some premium estates in Colchagua. What are they?
eastern Colchagua, is the source of Casa Lapostolle’s “Clos Apalta” and Viña Montes “Alpha M,” two of Chile’s iconic Bordeaux-style blends.
Viña Montes also produces “Purple Angel,” one of Chile’s highest-profile Carmenère varietal wines, from Colchagua fruit.
Curico, in the Central Valley, has two DO zones what are they?
Lontué and Teno
What are the main grapes of Curico?
Cabernet Sauvignon again dominates the vineyards
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
Who set up operations in Curico in the late 1970s?
Miguel Torres
Is Maule Valley large or small?
Maule is one of Chile’s largest regions
What kind of wine is the Maule Valley making?
bulk wine production
cabernet is the most planted grape
What are the main grapes of the Maule Valley?
Cabernet Sauvignon, País, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Carmenère, Chardonnay, Syrah
Where is Sur located?
It is the southern region so south of the Central Valley
Sur contains three valleys/subregions. What are they?
North to South
Itata
Bío Bío
Malleco
What are the main grapes of Sur in the Itata and Bio Bio valleys?
País and Muscat de Alexandria
a little sauvignon blanc, sauvignon vert, and chardonnay
Is Malleco small or large in the Sur DO?
super tiny
What are the main grapes of Malleco in Sur?
just a few hectares of
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
When did the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture add three new geographic terms to law?
2012
What are the three new terms that the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture added?
Costa (coast), Entre Cordilleras (between mountains), and Andes (Mountains)
What needs to happen in order for a wine to qualify for the new destination in Chile?
at least 85% of the grapes must be harvested in the appropriate region
Colchagua Valley is located in which DO?
Central Valley
In which century were vines first planted in Chile?
16th century
Where is the Leyda Valley located?
San Antonio Valley
Casablanca Valley is best known for the production of which of the following?
White wines
Carmenère is indigenous to which country?
France
Which Chilean wine region surrounds the capital of Santiago?
Maipo Valley
True or False: Chile has been unaffected by phylloxera.
True
True or False: The majority of wine production in Chile is white wine.
False
The __________ Current provides a cooling effect for many of Chile’s wine regions.
Humboldt
The Valle del Rapel DO region consists of which of the following DO zones?
Colchagua Valley
Cachapoal Valley
Select the synonym(s) for the País grape.
Mission
Criolla Chica
Listan Prieto
Which of the region experiences the least rainfall in Chile?
Atacama
Arrange the following regions from north to south (1 = northernmost, 4 = southernmost).
Bio bio valley
Maule valley 
San Antonio valley
Itata valley
San Antonio Valley
Maule Valley
Itata Valley
Bío Bío Valley
Which of the following regions is most focused on Pinot Noir production?
Bio BIo Valley
Puente Alto is located in:
Maipo Valley
Until the 21st century, Chile was mostly planted to what grape?
Pais
Which of the following subregions would be most suitable for Pinot Noir production?
Casablanca Valley
Pisco production is most prominent in which of the following regions?
Atacama
Concepción, Chile’s 3rd largest city, is closest to what wine region?
Itata Valley
From Mexico, the earliest bastion of viticulture in the Americas, the vine spread southward through other Spanish colonies, from Peru to Chile and Argentina by (blank).
1560
The Portuguese brought the vine to Brazil as early as (blank).
1532
Why did Argentinian viticulture rapidly expand in the 19th century?
do to an influx of european immigration and development of the national rail system
Chile also benefited from European expertise: in (blank) the Frenchman (blank) set up a Chilean repository of pre-phylloxera Vitis vinifera vines at the University of Chile’s Quinta Normal department. These vine specimens served Chile well; its geographic isolation, due to the Andes, prevented phylloxera from entering the country.
1830
Claudio Gay
Argentina, meanwhile, touts its status as the world’s (blank)-largest wine-producing country, and owes a great deal of its successes to the appeal of the Malbec grape.
5th
Where are the vineyards in Argentina?
are mostly confined to the western sector of the country, in the plains and foothills near the Andes, where they experience a continental climate.
What is the climate of Argentina?
Continental
What are the mountains that provide a rain shadow in Argentina?
Andes
What is Zonda?
a fierce, dusty, hot afternoon wind that blows down from the mountains in the late spring and early summer, sometimes adversely affecting flowering in Argentina.
Due to the rain shadow and the Zonda wind what are the conditions of the vineyards in Argentina?
regions are very dry
There is a general lack of humidity, which is good for the vineyards in Argentina. Why?
he general lack of humidity in most Argentinean winegrowing regions keeps vineyards free of fungal problems, and snowmelt provides plentiful water for irrigation—in those years that the Andes receive heavy winter snowfall.
What are the viticultural threats of Argentina?
Unfortunately, the little moisture that does precipitate in the vineyards often comes in the form of dangerous spring and summer hail.
high heat temps in the Summer can reach 100 degree days
Some of the worlds highest vines at (3,000 meters above sea level) are located where in Argentina?
Salta
What is the average elevation for vineyards in Argentina?
900 meters above sea level
What are the main red grapes of Argentina? In descending order of importance.
the flagship Malbec
Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Tempranillo
What is the DNA of Argentinians Bonarda?
but recent DNA studies have identified it as Savoie’s Corbeau—a variety known as Charbono in the United States.
What are the main white grapes in Argentina?
white grape is Pedro Giménez, a variety unrelated to Spain’s Pedro Ximénez, a blending grape often mainly suitable for bulk wines or grape concentrate.
The distinctive, floral Torrontés is second among white grapes, followed by Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.
What clone of Chardonnay has been popular to use in Argentina?
The Mendoza clone
developed by UC Davis
Which pink skin varieties are grown in Argentina?
Pink-skinned varieties, including Cereza, Criolla Chica, and Criolla Grande, occupy nearly 30% of the nation’s vineyard acreage.
When working with the premium grapes what does reserva mean in Argentina?
Reserva implies a minimum 6 months of aging for white wines
1 year for reds;
When working with the premium grapes what does gran reserva mean?
Gran Reserva indicates at least 1 year for whites
and 2 years for reds.
When were the terms reserva and gran reserva created?
2008
The winemaking regions of Argentina are broken into three provinces. What are they?
northwestern provinces
the central provinces of Cuyo
and the southern provinces of Patagonia.
True or False: Approximately three-quarters of the country’s entire wine production occurs in the province of Mendoza in Cuyo, where more than 150,000 hectares are cultivated.
True
What styles of wine is Salta known?
White
High altitude Torrontes
Red
Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, are also successful in the cooler mountain climate.
What type of topography is Salta?
Mountainous, high elevation vineyards
What is the main subregion of Salta?
Cafayate Valley
Name a few popular producer/wine from Cafayate in Salta?
Torrontés—Susana Balbo’s “Crios”
Etchart, the winery that first brought Michel Rolland to Argentina, and Yacochuya, Arnaldo Etchart’s new project, are two prominent producers based in Cafayate
Where is Catamarca and what are the main grapes?
located directly south of Salta, Torrontés, Syrah, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon lead in acreage.
What are the wine producing provinces in Cuyo?
La Rioja
San Juan
Mendoza
What is La Rioja’s most famous wine region?
Famatina Valley
What are the two main grapes in La Rioja?
Torrontés is again the most cultivated grape, followed by Malbec
San Juan, Argentina’s (blank)-largest wine-producing province, has more than 45,000 hectares under vine in the Tulum, Zonda, Ullum, Jáchal, Calingasta, Pedernal and Fertil Valleys.
2nd
What is the climate of San Juan?
San Juan’s hot summer climate is ideal for grapes destined for brandy and vermouth production, and the region’s sherry-style wines are reasonably good in quality.
What is mostly grown in San Juan?
Much of this acreage has historically been devoted to Argentina’s pink-skinned varieties, although Syrah and Bonarda—sometimes confusingly called Barbera Bonarda—are capturing critical attention.
Mendoza is the (blank)
the center of the Argentinean wine industry
How is Mendoza divided?
is broadly divided into Northern, Central (Upper), Southern, and Eastern sectors, and the Uco Valley—a western subregion and home to the province’s highest vineyards.
What is the soil type in Mendoza?
Soils in the region are generally comprised of loose, alluvial sand over clay
Almost all vines in Mendoza are planted on their (blank)
own rootstock
What is the climate in Mendoza?
The climate is desert-like, and irrigation is absolutely necessary
What is Furrow Irrigation?
a technique developed centuries ago by the Incas, in which the rivers’ water, swelled by Andes snowmelt, is directed through the vineyards in channels
What other type of irrigation system is used in Mendoza?
Drip irrigation system
What is the most planted grape in Mendoza?
Malbec
How many hectares of Malbec are in Mendoza?
about 35,000 hectares
What is Luján de Cuyo?
The departments of Luján de Cuyo (one of Argentina’s two DOCs, authorized only for Malbec wines) and Maipú, in Central Mendoza, provide some of the best traditional sites for the grape.
Name some highly regarded producers in Lujan de Cuyo DOC?
Highly regarded estates include Catena, Susana Balbo’s Dominio del Plata, Bressia, and Achával Ferrer.
What white grapes are produced in the Uco Valley and Tupungato department?
While white grapes, such as Chardonnay and Sémillon, are cultivated with success in the high elevation vineyards of Uco Valley and its Tupungato department.
In the Southern Mendoza what is the main white grape?
Chenin Blanc
What grapes are used for bulk wine production in Mendoza?
Criolla Grande and Cereza
What are winemaking provinces South of Mendoza?Río Negro, Neuquén, and Chubut.
Patagonia
Name the winemaking provinces within Patagonia?
Río Negro, Neuquén, and Chubut.
Is Patagonia cooler or warmer to those in the Central Valley?
cooler
What are the main white grapes of Patagonia?
Torrontés and Sémillon
What are the soil types of Patagonia?
chalky soils
What are the main red grapes of Patagonia?
Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir
Name some high quality producers in Patagonia?
Bodegas Chacra, spearheaded by the family behind Tuscany’s Sassicaia, rapidly emerged as Patagonia’s most famous estate in the mid-2000s, selling super-premium Río Negro Pinot Noir. Bodega Noemía de Patagonia, another premier producer in the province, is winning acclaim for Malbec. La Pampa, an adjacent province to the north of Río Negro, is an emerging area for wine.
Where has Moet et Chandon bought land in South America?
Brazil
Where does most viticulture take place in Brazil?
Most of the country’s viticultural activity takes place in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, on the Argentinean border.
What is special about São Francisco Valley in Brazil?
is a tropical winegrowing region in the northern part of the country, where growers are able to harvest twice a year.
What is the main red grape in Uruguay?
Tannat
Which subregion in Brazil recieved the first Origin Indication and when?
2002
Vale dos Vinhedos, a subregion within Serra Gaúcha, received Brazil’s first Origin Indication in 2002.
Malbec was imported to Argentina from which country?
France
The first commercial vineyard in Argentina was planted in which century?
17th century
How many DOCs are in Argentina?
2
Which country lies on the western border of Argentina?
Chile
What is the most planted white grape in Argentina?
Pedro Giménez
The _____________ is a hot afternoon wind that blows down from the mountains in the late spring and early summer.
Zonda
Argentina’s wine growing regions are generally located in areas with which of the following climate types?
Continental
What unique grape provides Salta’s most distinctive white wines?
Torrontés
Which Argentine province produces a majority of the country’s wine?
Mendoza
True or False: Gran Reserva red wines in Argentina are required to age for 2 years in oak.
False
Which of the following grapes is considered the highest quality?
Torrontés Sanjuanino
Torrontés Riojano
Torrontés Mendocino
Torrontés Saltano
Torrontés Riojano
What is the average elevation range for vineyards in Argentina?
500 - 1,500 meters
Which of the following is a synonym in Argentina for the Mission grape?
Criolla Chica
True or False: Chenin Blanc is the primary grape of San Rafael DOC.
False
What is the minimum percentage required to label a grape or region in Argentina?
80%
Clos de los Siete is located within what region in Mendoza?
Uco Valley
What year was Geographical Indication system created in Argentina?
1999
Which region is closest to Buenos Aires?
La Pampa
Charbono in the United States is better known as
(blank) in Argentina.
bonarda
True or False: Argentina produces the second-highest volume of wine in South America.
False
_____________ irrigation redirects river water by digging channels through the vineyard.
Furrow
Clos de los Siete is located within what region in Mendoza?
Uco Valley
Who is the producer of “Crios?”
Susana Balbo
What are the two DOC’s in Argentina?
Lujan de Cuyo DOC
San Rafel DOC
Where are the two DOC’s of Argentina located?
Both in Cuyo
Lujan de Cuyo - Primera Zone
San Rafael - South Mendoza
Which region in Argentina is known for Vermouth production?
San Juan
Who makes Purple Angel and what is the main grape?
Vina Montes
Carmenere
