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Chile, Argentina & Across The World

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Chile

Wines & Information

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Argentina

Wines & Viticulture

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Across The World

Interesting International Wines & Spirits

Chile located on the western coast of South America and bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes to the East, the Chilean wine-growing climate is similar to that of California’s Napa Valley and Bordeaux. It is home to a wide range of terroirs, with more than 18 sub-regions, and an equally wide range of wine styles.

The Chilean viticultural industry is often associated in export markets with consistent, good-value wines, but some world-class reds are also made, commanding high prices. For red wines the initial export mainstays have been Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère. It was thought to be extinct following the European phylloxera outbreaks of the 19th Century, but was rediscovered in Chile in the 1990s.

The topography is very favorable to viticulture, and despite the fact that Chile is only 160 kilometers (100 miles) wide, most climatic variation in the wine-growing regions happens from east to west, rather than from north to south. The Pacific, with its Antarctic Humboldt Current, brings cooling breezes to coastal vineyards, while the sheltering presence of the Coastal mountain range makes Chile's Central Valley relatively warm and dry. Along the eastern edge of the country, in the foothills of the Andes, high altitudes and abundant meltwater rivers make for a different terroir again.

Wine is made in virtually every country in the world. With so much to taste and enjoy we chose wines from the Old World and New world that will wow your senses and take you to an adventure.

The most basic difference between Old World and New World wines is geographic: "Old World" refers to the traditional winegrowing regions of Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa and near East, while "New World" refers to everything else. (North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa).

A few vine cuttings from the New World brought to Europe a tiny insect called Phylloxera, which feeds on the roots of vines.

The only way to save all of the European grape vines was to take European vines that were grafted onto American rootstocks to combat Phylloxera.

The six Bordeaux Varietals replanted in American soil include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and occasionally Carménère.

Interesting Facts:

European wines are named after their geographic locations while non-European wines are named after different grape varieties.
The leading per capita wine drinking country in the world is Andorra, a Pyrenean principality (population 78,000). Vatican City is number two. Croatia, Portugal, and France fill out the top five.

Argentina over the past decade has evolved from a country not well known on the global wine scene to the New World’s fastest growing exporter of wines. The leading grape in Argentina in terms of reputation and quantity is Malbec, a Bordeaux variety imported to Argentina from France in the mid 19th century.

Characteristically bright and intense, with floral notes and flavors of dark fruit.

Other red varieties produced include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bonarda, Syrah, Tempranillo and Pinot Noir. Among white wines, the Argentinian wine region’s signature grape is Torrontés, which yields a floral, tropical-tasting wine. Most viticulture in Argentina takes place in the foothills of the Andes, and most famously in Mendoza, where desert landscapes and high altitudes combine to make a terroir that gives rise to aromatic, intensely flavored red wines.

Vineyards in Mendoza reach as high as 5000ft (1500m) above sea level.

Here, increased levels of solar radiation and a high diurnal temperature variation make for a long, slow ripening period, leading to balanced sugars and acidity in the grapes.

Argentina has risen to become the fifth-most-prominent wine-producing country in the world, following France, Italy, Spain and the USA.