Hola fellow winemakers! The Chilean harvest is approaching with much anticipation this year. Are you ready? Chile is a grape growing region which has been gaining much popularity. However, most people do not know how much history Chile has in the winemaking world. Chile has been growing grapes since the Spanish brought vines over during the 1500’s. Since that time, Chile and many parts of South America inherited different varieties of wine grapes. In the 1800’s Chile was able to obtain European Bordeaux vines which hadn’t been affected by phylloxera yet, one of those grape vines being Carmenere.
Carmenere is a grape variety that is often confused with Merlot. Not until French scientists studied the Chilean grape harvest, did they notice that the vines had been mistaken for Merlot and therefore some of the first bottles of Chilean Merlot were actually Carmenere. Now Carmenere is a staple to the Chilean wine industry.
As a wine, Carmenere grapes produce certain peppery notes on the nose and pallet. When we say peppery we mean similar to that of a chili pepper, which matches very well with the region. We would venture to assume this is in correspondence with the terroir of Chile. In October of 2007 several Sommeliers and other important wine experts tasted 25 Carmenere wines from Chile. The styles of the wines were all across the boards, from floral tendencies to juicy plum flavors. However, the one thing they all had in common was the peppery notes. Overall, Carmenere was decided to be a variety that produced a great value wine and possibly a new wine to be reckoned with.
From these results, this variety seems to allow the winemaker a great ability to be creative. The grapes can take on many different styles depending on the like and want of the winemaker. The grape can be an excellent addition to your winemaking cellar. Standing well as a single varietal offering variation in character and the ability to blend, the quality never falters.
Carmenere however is not the only variety that Chile has to offer. Since the winemaking in Chile has been gaining popularity, many Chilean wineries and grape growers are moving to cooler climates and different soils, stressing the vines and providing good grape growing climates for the Bordeaux varieties. One area in particular is the Curico Valley.
The Curico Valley is made up of 2500 acres of Chile’s best grape growing land and the second largest grape producing region. The valley is surrounded by three rivers; the Teno, the Lontue, and the Mataquito. The composition of the region allows many optimal climatic changes for the growth of different varieties of grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Carmenere and Chardonnay.
Many winemakers this season are feeling the “winemaking itch” and are experimenting with some of the Chilean products, or at the very least, trying a bottle of their favorite variety from a Chilean producer.
We would suggest anything from the Korta Winery, which is actually located in the Curico Valley, reasonably priced from $6.99. Also, wines from the William Cole Winery with prices starting at $8.99. These wines are of amazing quality and “the best bang for your buck.”
Cheers!
Christina Musto
The M&M Family of Wine
Juicegrape.com support