South America Flashcards
What is the name of the major ocean current that affects Chilean viticulture? What kind of current is it and what does it do?
Humboldt Current
cool ocean current that forces cool sea air inland through the river valleys to affect the Central Valley during the day
What are the four large major wine regions of Argentina? Which two are IG?
Cuyo (IG)
Patagonia (IG)
North Region
Center Region
Which IG is home to Bodegas Chacra? What is the star wine produced here? What famous Italian producer is spearheading this estate?
Patagonia
Sassicaia
Which two subregions of Aconcagua are building a reputation of the best places for Chilean Sauvignon Blanc?
Casablanca
San Antonio
What clone of Chardonnay has become popular in Argentina due to its greater skin-to-juice ratio?
Mendoza Clone
What are the three subregions of Sur (Southern Regions)?
Valle Itata
Valle Bío Bío
Valle Malleco
What is the southernmost major DO in Chile?
Austral
Which subregion of Cuyo IG is responsible for producing ¾ of the entire country’s output of wine?
Mendoza
Why are most Argentinean winegrowing regions free of fungal problems?
The general lack of humidity in most Argentinean wine growing regions keeps vineyards free of fungal problems
What are the two subregions of the Rapel Valley?
Colchagua
Cachapoal
Are hybrid grapes allowed to be listed on Chilean wine labels?
NO!
Which subregion within Salta is home to Crios?
Cafayate
In order for a Chilean wine to carry a regional designation what percentage of fruit used to make the corresponding wine must come from those regions?
85%
What are the six large Denominations of Origin (DOs) in Chile?
Atacama Coquimbo Aconcagua Valle Central Sur Austral
What are the subregions of Aconcagua DO (4)?
Aconcagua Valley
Casablanca
San Antonio
Panquehue (very unofficial) vineyards of Sena wine from Errasuriz
Average summer temperatures in Argentina can reach up to 100F. What mitigates this and provides most of the country’s vineyards with a prolonged growing season?
Despite the high temperatures the majority of the best vineyards are planted at higher altitudes which serves to mitigate such extreme highs and prolong the growing season
The Friulano grape is a major grape of Chile, but it’s not called Friulano there. It’s called what, due to its false identification as Sauvignon Blanc?
Sauvignon Vert
Which major DO is Chile’s oldest and most established winemaking region?
Valle Central
What are the three subregions of Colchagua?
San Fernando
Chimbarongo
Apalta
What is the major threat to viticulture in Argentina?
Spring and summer hail
What are the three subregions of Coquimbo? Which two are starting to develop a reputation for their wines?
Elqui
Limarí
Choapa
Elqui and Limarí are developing reputations
If a wine is labeled Reserva Privada or Gran Reserva what does this indicate in regards to Chilean wine?
Must spend mandatory time in oak
Who is Claudio Gay and what did he do? At what University of Chile department?
Frenchman who set up a Chilean repository of pre-phylloxera vinifera vines at the University of Chile’s Quinta Normal department.
What are the subregions of the Valle Central? (4)
Maipo Valley
Rapel Valley
Curicó
Maule Valley
What style of wine is Muscat of Alexandria mostly used for in Chile?
Mostly used for distillation
Pisco!
If a wine in Chile is labeled by vintage, varietal, and denomination of origin what percent of fruit used in the wine must be of the stated varietal, from the stated vintage, and from stated DO? What percentage minimum do most observe to align with EU standards for export?
75%
Most observe the 85% minimum for export though.
What is the star subregion of La Rioja Argentina IG? What is the most cultivated grape here?
Famatina
Torrontés
Which country is known as the fifth largest producer of wine in the world and is considered South America’s most important for wine?
Argentina
What is the average national elevation for vineyards in Argentina in m above sea level?
900m
What has allowed Chile to remain phylloxera-free to this day and the only major wine region in the world to claim so?
Geographical isolation due to the Andes has prevented phylloxera from entering the country
What are the two star red grapes of Aconcagua Valley?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
What is the star grape of San Rafael IG/DOC?
Chenin Blanc
What is Bonarda in Argentina genetically similar to in Savoie? What is the grape known as in the United States?
Corbeau
Known as Charbono in the Unites States
What are the 5 provinces of the North Region of Argentina?
Catamarca
Jujuy
Salta
Tucumán
Valles Chalchaquíes (not a province?)
What suregion of Central Mendoza is home to Catena and Achával Ferrer?
Lujan de Cuyo
Torrontés Riojano, the star white grape of Argentina, is a crossing between what two grapes?
Criolla Chica (Mission) x Muscat of Alexandria
What are the five subregions of Mendoza? Which is home to the province’s highest vineyards?
Valle de Uco
Northern Mendoza
Eastern Mendoza
Central Mendoza
Southern Mendoza
Valle de Uco is home to the province’s highest vineyards.
Where are most of Argentina’s winegrowing regions focused? (what sector and near what major mountain range)
Western sector of the country in the plains and foothills near the Andes
Which grape was the most planted grape in Chile until the 21st century? What is this grape also known as in the US? Argentina? Canary Islands?
País
Known as Mission in the U.S.
Criolla Chica in Argentina
Listán Prieto in the Canary Islands
Which IG within the North Region is gaining a reputation of high-altitude Torrontés?
Salta
Which producer in Chile is notable for producing a premium Bordeaux-style blend that placed ahead of both Château Margaux and Château Lafite in the 2004 Berlin Tasting? What was the wine called? What subregion of Aconcagua was this produced in?
Errásuriz
Seña was the name of the wine that bested Margaux and Lafite in 2004
Wine comes from the subregion of Aconcagua known as Panquehue.
There are three Regional Designations that can apply to all wines of Chile. What are they and describe where they are.
Costa: Vineyards close to the coast
Entre Cordilleras: Valley areas between the Coastal Range and the Andes
Andes:vineyards near the Andes
Name two major producers that are located in Apalta and the iconic Bordeaux-style wine produced at each?
Montes (Alpha M)
Casa Lapostolle (Clos Apalta)
How long is Chile from end to end (north-south)? How many miles are planted to viticulture?
3,000 miles form end to end
800 miles are planted to viticulture
What year was Malbec introduced to Argentina?
1860
What are the three major white grapes of Argentina?
Torrontés
Chardonnay
Chenin Blanc
What is the northern most major DO in Chile and what are the grapes grown there traditionally used for?
Atacama
Table grapes and grapes meant for distillation
Purple Angel is produced from what grape and by what producer?
Carmenère produced by Montes from Colchagua fruit.
Which IGs comprise the larger Cuyo IG? Which subregion is excluded from this region unless it is called “New Cuyo”?
La Rioja Argentina
Mendoza
San Juan
San Luis (83 ha of vines as of 2012) Unofficial ?
The traditional region of Cuyo excludes La Rioja Argentina. “New” Cuyo is used to indicate its inclusion.
What is the Zonda and what does it do? What negative effect can it have on the vine?
The Zonda is a fierce, dusty, hot afternoon wind that blows down from the mountains in the late spring and early summer
Sometimes can adversely affect flowering in the springtime
What are Argentina’s only two DOCs? Where are they located?
Luján de Cuyo in Central Mendoza
San Rafael in Southern Mendoza
What are the 4 subzones of San Antonio?
Valle de Leyda DO
Lo Abarca (unofficial)
Rosario (unofficial)
Malvilla (?)
What is the most planted white grape in Argentina that is genetically dissimilar to the Sherry grape?
Pedro Giménez
What are the four provinces of Patagonia?
La Pampa
Río Negro
Neuquén
Chubut
What is the minimum abv for all Chilean wines? What is the minimum abv for Reserva and Reserva Especial? Reserva Privada and Gran Reserva?
11.5%
Reserva and Reserva Especial (12%)
Reserva Privada and Gran Reserva (12.5%)
If a wine is labeled as Reserva in Argentina what are the aging regquirements for this designation? Gran Reserva?
Reserva: 6 months aging for whites and 1 year for reds
Gran Reserva: 1 year for whites and 2 years for reds.
What are the three varieties of Torrontés grown in Argentina?
Torrontés Riojano (major variety)
Torrentés Mendocino
Torrontés Sanjoanino
What are the two DO Zones of Valle de Curico DO?
Valle del Lontue DO
Valle del Teno DO
What are the DO areas of Valle de Curico DO?
Costa: Vichuquen
Entre Cordilleras: Rauco, Sagrada Familia
Andes: Romeral, Molina
What are the DO Zones of the Valle del Maule DO?
Valle del Claro DO
Valle del Loncomilla DO
Valle del Tutuven DO
