Expert Corner
Chile & Argentina
By: Ted Farrell
The conquistadors introduced vines into Argentina and Chile in the sixteenth century. The resulting wines were used by the Spanish Jesuits for both religious and medicinal purposes. The industry only acquired its present form in the nineteenth century as a result of a flood of
European immigrants who brought better vines with them such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Carmenère, Merlot, Syrah, Barbera and Sangiovese for red wines and Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Torrontés for whites.
The first independent wine houses were established by Spanish, Italian, German and French immigrants for whom wine was an essential part of their daily diet. Argentina has been climbing steadily up into the ranks of the top 10 wine producing countries in terms of total production as their wines have been discovered by consumers throughout Europe and the United States.
Argentina’s vineyards lie at the foot of the Andes Mountains. The climate is continental, being very dry and very hot, verging on desert. Irrigation with water from pure mountain streams has created the ideal conditions for wine-growing. Chile’s climate is similar to the Mediterranean with damp winters and springs, and dry summers. It is blessed with perfect conditions for quality wines with a fairly marked difference between day and night time temperatures, lots of hours of sunshine and fairly high humidity from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chile’s wine industry has grown greatly in the past twenty years. Since the fall of the dictator General Pinochet, much foreign investment has been made in vineyards and modern wineries. Sales particularly to the United States and Europe have soared as of late.
The Wines of Argentina
The vineyards arise like cooling oases in otherwise desert-like terrain. It is possible to grow a wide range of grape varieties here because of the big difference in day and night temperatures.
Torrontés is Argentina’s white wine speciality. The better ones are greenish-yellow with hints of gold. The bouquet is of subtle floral aromas and a hint of exotic fruit. The taste is fresh but never sharp. It is well balanced and harmonious.
Argentina’s Sauvignon Blanc has a pleasing aroma of citrus fruits, peach, apricot, kiwi and grapefruit. It is fresh and quite dry, making it a perfect aperitif.
Argentina’s Chardonnay is often a pale golden color with a green tinge. The bouquet is reminiscent of apples and hot creamery butter with a hint of wood and vanilla. Its texture is generally full and rounded.
Malbec is the flagship red wine of Argentina. This grape from southwestern France thrives in Mendoza.The color is dark red tinged with purple and the bouquet is reminiscent of black currants, raspberries, cherries and plums. The structure and tannin are both strong but mellow with age to form a superb fullbodied and rounded wine of great complexity.
Cabernet Sauvignon wines of Argentina possess less tannin than those of France. The taste is soft, full and rounded with a long, pleasing aftertaste. The best of them are aged for a long period in wood. These possess greater aromatics than their younger counterparts. They have a bouquet of cedarwood, tobacco, vanilla, chocolate and lots of ripe fruit such as black currant.
Merlot is particularly fruity, suggesting plum and bilberry with a hint of blackberry. Its harmonious taste and mild tannin make this a pleasant charmer.
Syrah is a very dark-colored wine with intense aromatic power. It has scents of spices, pepper, vanilla, toast and red fruits. It is full-bodied, possesses great strength but is not overly tannic to the tongue with a rounded and mild aftertaste.
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