South America Flashcards
Mission grape
Black grape, one of earliest to arrive in the Americas. From Canary Islands in Spain, where it is called Listan Prieto. Offshoots from the grape provided early viticultural material for Central and South America, and even California.
Pais
Chilean synonym for the Mission Grape
Criolla Chica
Argentinian synonym for the Mission Grape
Cereza
pink-skinned grape, most planted grape in Argentina, on the decline
Torrontes Riojano
Unique, highly aromatic crossing of Criolla Chica x Muscat of Alexandria, Argentina hoping for it to be the white grape answer to their red grape international success with Malbec
What are the six DOs of Chile
Atacama, Coquimbo, Aconcagua, the Valle Central (Central Valley), Sur (the Southern Regions), and the Austral Region
True or False: Soils in the Aconcagua Valley are generally alluvial, and red grapes dominate the valley’s vineyards, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
True
Panquehue
Acongagua home to Errázuriz, one of Chile’s most prominent estates and winemaking families, experiences a more moderate climate. 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.
Casablanca DO
Among coolest new winemaking regions of Chile. Has become Aconcagua DO’s most prominent zone and great for fresh Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
Central Valley DO
Chile’s oldest and most established winemaking region. From north to south, the DO’s subregions are Maipo Valley, Rapel Valley, Curicó, and Maule Valley.
Maipo Valley
Chile’s most famous winemaking area, and the classic region in the country for Cabernet Sauvignon. Due to its proximity to Santiago, many of Chile’s established houses are based in the region, including Concha y Toro (Chile’s largest producer), Santa Rita, and Cousiño Macul. Cabernet thrives on the well-drained, low slopes of the Andes
Rapel Valley
South of Maipo, divided into Cachapoal and Colchagua. Cabernet Sauvignon lead grape, Merlot second, Carmenère is growing in importance, and may soon eclipse Merlot as the valley’s second most cultivated grape.
Apalta
In Eastern Colchagua is the source of Casa Lapostolle’s “Clos Apalta” and Viña Montes “Alpha M,” two of Chile’s iconic Bordeaux-style blends.
Where are the Maule Valley and Curico
Central Valley DO. Maule, one of Chile’s largest regions, has much more vineyard acreage than the Maipo Valley, but the quality is variable. Curicó, achieved recognition when Miguel Torres set up here in the late 1970s
Southern Regions DO
Itata, Bio Bio and Malleco, Pais and Muscat de Alexandria most planted
Costa, Entre Cordilleras, and Andes
Producers may now append pre-existing DOs with one of these three new designations, 85% of the grapes must be harvested in the appropriate region.
Bonarda
Argentina’s second most planted grape, is genetically Savoie’s Corbeau—Charbono in the US
Pedro Gimenez
Unrelated to Spain’s Pedro Ximenez, blending grape for bulk wine. Argentina’s most planted variety
Torrontes
Argentina’s secondmost planted white grape variety
What is the top grape in the Northern region of Salta
Torrontes
Cuyo
Comprises the wine-producing provinces of La Rioja, San Juan and Mendoza
What are the top two largest wine producing regions in Argentina
Mendoza and San Juan
Divisions of Mendoza
Northern, Central (Upper), Southern, and Eastern sectors, and the Uco Valley—a western subregion and home to the province’s highest vineyards
Mendoza soil type
Loose, alluvial sand over clay, a structure that, when coupled with the gale-force Zonda wind, helps to keep phylloxera and other diseases at bay. As in Chile, almost all vines in Mendoza are planted on their own rootstock. The climate is desert-like
Most planted grape in Mendoza
Malbec
What are the two DOCs of Argentina
Lujan de Cuyo and San Rafael, only used for Malbec
What are the two winemaking provinces of Patagonia
Río Negro and Neuquén. Torrontés and Sémillon perform well in the chalky soils and longer growing seasons, although cool-climate, elegant versions of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir are promising. Bodegas Chacra, (started by Sassicaia’s founding family) rapidly emerged as Patagonia’s most famous estate in the mid-2000s, selling Río Negro Pinot Noir
Rio Grande do Sul
Southern Brazilian state on the Argentinean border.
Serra Gaúcha is the most developed viticultural region and accounts for approximately 90% of Brazilian wine. Vale dos Vinhedos, a subregion within Serra Gaúcha, received Brazil’s first Origin Indication in 2002.
Harriague
Tannat in Uruguay, dominant red varietal in Uruguay
Don Melchor is made by what producer
Concha y Toro
Clos Apalta is made by what producer
Casa Lapostolle
Sena is made by what prodcuer
Errazuriz Sena
Purple Angel is made by what producer
Vina Montes
Maipo vs Maipu
Maipo Valley is the most famous winemaking area in Chile, it is in the Central Valley surrounding Santiago; Maipu is a department in Central Mendoza in Argentina that produces some of the best Malbec in the country
What are the sub regions of Valle central
Maipo, Rapel (cachapoal, colchagua) Curico, Maule
What are the wine regions of Chile from North to South
Atacama
Coquimbo (Elqui, Limari)
Aconcagua (Aconcagua, Casablanca, San Antonio, Leyda)
Valle Central (Maipo, Rapel, Curico, Maule
Sur (Itata, Bio bio, Malleco)
