Introduction
Geography
History
Wine Regions
Grape Varieties
The Bodegas Links to Famous Wineries:
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Argentina
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Introduction
Geography
History
Wine Regions
Grape Varieties
The Bodegas Links to Famous Wineries:
Alios SA Designed and
maintained by FLB Webdesigns
|
|
Introduction The first thing that one needs to understand about the wine producing region
of Mendoza in Argentina is its size, and hence its relative importance in global
terms. UP Geography About 1000 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, Mendoza nestles between 32° and 38° longitude and 69.5° and 67.5° latitude in the southern hemisphere. It is protected from the Pacific Ocean by the Andes that form its spectacular western boundary. Rainfall is exceptionally light (0.7 - 0.8 inches per year). A proportion of this comes in the form of violent hailstorms. Flat, hardy scrub-lands; populated by the armadillo, the south American ostrich, the puma, several kinds of snakes and vipers, impressive birds of prey as well as the majestic condor; are the natural habitat of central Mendoza. Four main rivers carry glacial and snow-melt waters down from the Andes to
the Atlantic across Mendoza over dusty semi-calcareous topsoils containing very
low levels of organic matter. Between eighteen inches to six feet below the
surface lie thick strata of broken rock and pebbles, evidence of the tumultuous
process that created the Andes. Continental temperature variations from between
30+ °C in summer to -7 °C in winter, with broad (15°C) night to day shifts, make
Mendoza an austere and imposing land.
UP History Cultivation of the semi-arid plain of Mendoza by means of irrigation transformed its appearance dramatically. There is evidence that the Incas once governed this land and brought with them their renowned genius for hydrodynamics. Some of their most typical methods of water flow regulation, such as triangular obstruction regulators, are still in use today. Attitudes towards water use, such as water being public property open to use by all and not to be abused by the rich and powerful, can also be traced back to Inca laws. By the time Mendoza began receiving Spanish immigrants the irrigation system had been adapted by indigenous Huarpes tribes. They had harnessed what were to become known as the Mendoza, Tunuyán, Atuel and Diamante rivers, metamorphosing the landscape. Early documents suggest that in 1556 the inhabitants of the province of Santiago del Estero welcomed a Spanish priest called Juan Cedrón, who had arrived in Argentina via La Serena, Chile. He brought with him cotton and grain seeds as well as vine stalks. These he planted and tended, almost certainly becoming Argentina's first wine maker. It is likely that this early Spanish-American grape variety was the same as was introduced in Chile and California. In Argentina it is now known as the Criolla, in Chile as the País and in California as the Mission. Several records attest to the fact that the vine was well established in Mendoza by the 16th century. Although these early vineyards were small and almost exclusively for local consumption, word was spreading that the wines they made were better than those which were being produced elsewhere in Argentina. By the 18th century a trickle of trade with Buenos Aires, already a growing market for wine, can be detected. Things progressed slowly until 1880 when the French botanist, Aimé Pouget, introduced the first French varieties. Then in 1885 the British opened the first railway linking Mendoza with Buenos Aires. This afforded mendocino wine-makers a revolutionarily quick and safe means of getting their wines to an ever thirstier capital city. One negative consequence of Buenos Aires's large demand for wine was the tendency for wine producers in Mendoza to set their sights on high volume production rather than quality. That there was sufficient knowledge to make quality wines is evident in Las viñas y los vinos en Mendoza, ("Vines and Wines in Mendoza"), a book published in 1884 by Eusebio Blanco. It is clear that the wines produced in the region did little to satisfy the palates of those Argentines who had tried finer European products. Convinced that Mendoza had the potential to match Europe, Blanco's son-in-law, Tiburcio Benegas, set about improving every element of wine making in Mendoza. His bodega, called El Trapiche (not to be confused with today's Bodega Trapiche which has bought the right to use the name), with 250 hectares of European varietal vineyards, is one of the early monuments to American œnology. It may seem almost inconceivable that such a vast and important vinicultural centre as Mendoza has not pulled its weight more in international markets. The truth is that it has sometimes had its work cut out simply trying to supply internal Argentine demand. At one stage Argentine per capita wine consumption topped 90 litres per year. Now that this figure has dropped to 40 litres per capita per annum the wine makers are beginning to turn their attention to overseas buyers. There have been important factors that have slowed Mendoza's emergence onto world markets. Strained foreign relations, a volatile currency, high labour and shipping costs have all taken their toll. Two serious set-backs in the 1980s also damaged self-confidence. In 1980 the huge Grupo Greco, financed by their own bank, collapsed, bankrupting Bodega Arizu that had until then been the world's largest vineyard. To this day you can see the heartbreaking sight of vast, overgrown vineyards and abandoned workers' houses. In 1988 the government-sponsored Giol group, an attempt to stabilise the market by controlling a very large segment of it (a la De Beers with diamonds) also crashed, causing widespread despondency. Perhaps the most curious impediment to wine export has been the unique dichotomy that exists between Argentine tastes and those of overseas buyers. Argentine's prefer their wines vinosos, that is to say very low in tannins, fruit and acidity (except sometimes the less welcome volatile kind). They like to smell old, damp wood. No Argentine wine maker is in a position to ignore a customer that single-handedly sustains the world's fifth largest wine industry. Hence most wine makers produce two styles of wine, one for the home market and one for export. Most of Mendoza's producers believe that home and foreign tastes will merge at some stage in the not too distant future as Argentine consumers learn more about quality wine-making and adapt to cleaner, brighter wines. Some are actually subtly changing their home-market wines to coax consumers into drinking better made wines. Producers in Mendoza take comfort from the fact that if wine consumption in Argentina has dropped sharply, the consumption of quality wines has actually risen. This has caused them to have greater faith in the changes they are implementing. They have been ripping up high yield varieties in favour of smaller yield, high quality vines. So as to better vinify the grapes, massive investment has been channelled towards new equipment and facilities. Vineyards have by no means been left out of the equation, either. Traditionally most of the vines in Mendoza have been trained. Two systems of training are favoured: the espaldera, or normal, tall wire training; and the parral, or high, overhead training. These systems have been adopted to try and avoid late frost damage on the budding shoots. Both systems are costly and labour intensive, but they do allow for some excellent viticultural possibilities. First of all, grape bunches can be exposed to maximum sunlight and good ventilation. Second, non-useful or damaged foliage can be easily removed, creating a healthy canopy. Third, mechanical picking can be readily introduced into the vineyards. Perhaps the area that has absorbed most minds is that of hail-stone protection. Heavy downpours have been known to destroy entire harvests in stricken areas, leaving the vines lacerated, split open and liable to infection. Having tried and rejected all sorts of curious meteorological methods, including strange-looking Russian (supposedly anti-hail) rockets, most growers have opted for one of two methods. Either they have covered their prize vines with anti-hail trailed mesh or they have bought another vineyard somewhere else so as to halve their chances of being totally wiped out. Both methods cost about the same in Mendoza. Although Phylloxera does exist - you can see the mites clinging onto vitis vinifera roots when you pull them up - they seem to be kept well in check by the flood irrigation methods used to water the vineyards. Those people who have installed drip irrigation methods, an increasing trend which, naturally, helps to save water, have all planted their vines on resistant American root-stock, aware that the change in irrigation will doubtlessly presage a worsening Phylloxera situation. The waters of the Andes are pollution free. Brilliant sunshine and dry
weather mean that fungicidal spraying is almost unnecessary. Some vineyards use
herbicides to keep weeds at bay, but by and large Mendoza vineyard care is
natural and well attuned to modern health and ecological considerations.
UP Wine Regions The wine producing regions of Mendoza can roughly be divided into three areas, one main cluster in the north, one nearer the Andes to the west, and one further south, towards the middle of the province. The principal cluster is the northern one. Straddling the Mendoza and Tunuyán rivers and encompassing the capital city, Mendoza, this area is itself subdivided into three regions. To the west there is the Zona Alta, properly known as Región de la Zona Alta del Río Mendoza. This region includes two of Mendoza's three D.O.s (Denominaciones de Origen), Luján de Cuyo and Maipú. To the north you have the Región del Norte (the Northern Region) and below it you have the Región del Este (the Eastern Region). The Zona Alta The Zona Alta is often referred to as "Primera Zona", the First Zone. It is blessed with some of the most picturesque vineyards anywhere in the world. The snow-capped Andes and the geologically older and smaller, red coloured, Cordón de la Plata act as a spectacular backdrop. The effect is made more striking by the fact that the area devoted to viticulture is flat as a pancake, perfect cycling country. The Zona Alta gently slopes away from its highest point (3,500 feet above sea level) near the Andes to 2,100 feet at its eastern-most point. The soil is made up of the moraine and waterborne deposits eroded from the Andes. On the surface it is a very pale tan, fine sandy, almost clay-like crust with negligible organic matter. It drains well and is ideal for high quality wine. Over 300 bodegas cultivate almost 50,000 acres of vineyards in this area. Región del Norte and Región del Este Both of these regions are nearer to sea level than the Zona Alta (average 2,100 ft above sea level). Together they add up to 210,000 acres dedicated to viticulture. The Región del Norte has soils which tend to be less porous and permeable than the other regions. This type of soil favours young fruity wines, both white and red. The Región del Este has an altogether more complicated soil structure. Some areas have deep upper layers with good water retention. Others have solid rock strata near the surface and have poor water retention. The cluster to the East, known as Región del Valle de Uco (Uco Valley Region) is divided into three, Tupungato, Tunuyán and San Carlos. At 3,300 feet above sea level this region is the highest of all those in Mendoza. Its soils are stony alluvial sediments which make for quality wines. There are 3,200 acres of vineyards. The southern Región del Sur is divided into two, San Rafael and General
Alvear. San Rafael is Mendoza's third D.O. At 2,600 feet above sea level and
with sandy soils it yields wines with delicate fragrances and an ability to age
well in bottle.
UP Grape Varieties Mendoza grows a bewildering array of grape varieties. Varieties that have adapted particularly well are plentiful. The Zona Alta imparts very special characteristics to pretty well every variety it harbours. Those that have reached world-class standards are the Malbec, which everyone should seek out and try, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Torrontés. Torrontés is a remarkably aromatic variety which is exclusive to Argentina. Although other regions in Argentina claim to grow even more fragrant variants of Torrontés the mendocino variety certainly claims a permanent stake in the memory banks. The Región del Norte produces lively Chenin Blancs, Pedro Ximénez, Ugni Blanc
and Sangiovese. The Región del Este specialises in Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah,
Sangiovese, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The Valle de Uco
yields Chardonnay, Merlot and Malbec, all with special features. The Región del
Sur can claim special Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignon and Bonarda.
UP The Bodegas There are many mendocino bodegas that are making an impact with the exceptional quality of their wines. Bodegas Lavaque in the D.O. San Rafael produce a Merlot from five year old vines, with eight months in French oak barricas that positively dances around in the glass. Bodegas y Viñedos Goyenechea have a knack for producing bright and lingering Chardonnays. Bodegas Valentín Bianchi, also in San Rafael, have made, among their huge list of bright, clean wines, a beautiful 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon with 18 months in French oak. Bodega Balbi, also from the same region, make a San Rafael Chardonnay that finishes leaving a plethora of delightfully complex nuances on the palate and promises a great deal more when aged further. Trapiche is a Zona Alta bodega that is aiming to further refine its image by creating a new small-scale winery to produce high quality wines. Its current 1991 Malbec from Luján de Cuyo is a real eye-opener. Bodega Norton in Luján de Cuyo was originally founded by an Englishman. Its recent fortunes went downhill until it was bought by an enterprising Austrian family. Michael Halstrick is aiming to make Bodega Norton a household name around the world. The power and focused expressive clarity of his wines, coupled with their subtle depth, are guaranteed to make his wish come true. 'It has been hard. When I first got here there was chaos everywhere, a bottle washer that broke 80% of what went in and despair among the work-force. Now we feel we are all pulling together towards uncompromising excellence.' At first sight Bodegas y Viñedos Santa Ana seem to have their hands full supplying train-loads of wine to Buenos Aires. They do export, however, and their 100% Syrah is quite a little power pack. Navarro Correas have three bodegas, one for white, one for red and one for sparkling. Their bottle fermented 100% Pinot Noir (with a blush) is delightful. Finca Flichman in Maipú is one of those bodegas that is subtly trying to coax the home market to drink better wine. Their Torrontés (70%) - Chenin Blanc blend is an unsuspected stroke of genius. La Agricola is another Maipú producer that has opted for this stylish white wine, only they use 80% Torrontés with Chenin Blanc, to greater effect. There can be no question that Bodegas Esmeralda are going places. They have lost patience with the Argentine palate and have unleashed on them the same huge and classy Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons that you and I can buy - and, understandably, the Argentines have been lapping them up! If you can, you certainly ought to try the Alamos Ridge range of wines, and the wines sold as Catena (the name of the owner of Esmeralda) are an absolute must on your shopping list. Esmeralda feel that part of their success is due to being able to pick the harvest at exactly the right time, unaffected by bad weather. 'It's so simple,' says Pedro Marchevsky, 'I used to choose the picking time relying on complex tests, now I find my palate the most sensitive instrument of all. When the grapes taste beautiful then it is time to bring in the harvest.' The impressive Catena empire also includes a major stake in Bodegas y Cavas de Weinert. Weinert are well known throughout the world for their impressively structured and aromatically complex tintos, or red wines. These wines have, for quite some time now, acted as ambassadors for all that is best in Argentine oenology. Perhaps the most colourful family in Argentine wine making are the Orfilas. Bodega Orfila wines all have an interesting story behind them, such as the Cabernet de las Reinas (Cabernet of the Queens) which is actually trodden by young beauty queens at the harvest festival. It's jolly nice as well! The D.O.s of Mendoza: Mendoza has three Denominaciones de Origen. They are: Luján de Cuyo Maipú San Rafael
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