Argentina Flashcards
When was viticulture first recorded? How successful was it?
First recorded vineyard was in 1550s by Spanish settlers. Despite high altitude and arid landscape, viticulture quickly established itself as an important part of the local economy and grew.
What event took place in 1816, and what did it lead to?
Argentina declared independence from Spain, and soon began attracting European immigrants, particularly from Spain, Italy and France, bringing winemaking traditions and vines with them.
A viticultural research station was established in 1851. As a result, many important European varieties, e.g. Malbec, arrived in Argentina before the Phylloxera epidemic struck. This encouraged a further wave of European immigrants who had lost their livelihoods to Phylloxera in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
What was the state of wine culture in the 20th century?
For much of it, Argentina was isolated from the rest of the world, affected by a series of political and economic crises.
Very high domestic wine consumption sustained the industry (European immigrants brought their drinking culture with them), which focused on the high yielding criollo pink varieties: Cereza, Criolla Grande and Criolla Chica (Pais in Chile), and the white Pedro Gimenez. Planted by the earliest settlers, these dominated plantings until relatively recently and remain important on the domestic market today.
What are the criolla pink varieties?
Criolla is the collective name for varieties that have commonly been grown in S America since the arrival of the conquistadores. The main ones are Cereza, Criolla Grande and Criolla Chica.
What events led to the Argentinian industry beginning a process of modernisation?
Domestic consumption began to fall dramatically in the 1970s and, aided by the return to democracy and an open economy in the 1980s and early 90s, Argentinian producers, notably Nicolas Catena, started to look to export markets and shift from quantity to quality.
With the help of considerably foreign investment (aided in turn by parity between the dollar and peso) and the arrival of famous consultants such as Michel Rolland, Alberto Antonini and Paul Hobbs, the industry then began the process of modernisation.
When did Argentina begin to do well on export markets? What is the current state?
Burst onto the world wine scene in the early 2000s when a weak peso made their goods relatively cheap. Despite currency fluctuations and further economic and political upheaval in the years since, Argentina is now among the top producers and exporters of wine globally.
Todays success is largely due to the huge popularity of Malbec, but is increasingly becoming known for high quality Cab Sauv, red blends and Chard, amongst others.
Where does the vineyard area of Argentina lie?
Main producing regions stretch 1500km from Salta in the N to Rio Negro in the S. (24-38 latitude).
What is the general topography and climate within Argentina?
The combined influence of altitude and latitude are essential. At low latitudes, the influence of altitude is essential to ensure it is not too hot for viticulture: with the exception of Patagonia in the S, vineyards are in the foothills of the Andes in the W of the country. The lowest are around 500m and many are above 1000m (highest said to be 3300m).
Even at the highest altitudes, however, most are planted on flat or gently sloping sites.
What effects does altitude have that helps to ensure quality grapes?
One of the key effects of altitude, the wide diurnal range (over 20 celsius in many places). The cool night time temps extend the growing season and allow grapes to reach full ripeness while retaining acidity.
The combined effect of low latitude and high altitude also results in intense sunlight, and a relatively high proportion of ultraviolet radiation (due to altitude) results in grapes with higher levels of tannins and anthocyanins.
What are the main climatic conditions for the country?
Vast majority of regions are continental (tiny number of plantings are coastal). They lie in the rain shadow of the Andes, even in Patagonia several hundred km away, so rainfall levels are very low (some places less than 200mm per year). In these dessert like conditions, irrigation is essential.
The dry air reduces the risk of fungal diseases, as do the often strong winds which blow down the mountains along the valleys.
What is the name of the most significant wind? What effect does it have and preventative measures?
The zonda, a hot, dry powerful wind which occurs mainly in late spring and early summer.
It lowers humidity and can induce water stress for the vines, and, if particularly strong, can disrupt flowering and fruit set or damage the grapes, depending on time of the year, reducing yields sometimes substantially.
Trees, particularly poplars, may be grown to act as windbreaks.
What are main climatic hazards? How are they mitigated?
What rainfall there is usually falls in summer, and hail is a constant threat, significantly reducing yields in some years.
Many P use netting to cover their vines but covering a large area is expensive, so often only the most prized sites are protected. Many growers in Mendoza own vineyards in different parts of the province to minimise risk to their entire crop.
Frost is a significant problem in some parts of Mendoza, usually in flat areas or the bottom of slopes. This is a problem throughout the region, both higher and lower altitudes.
What effect does El Nino have?
Despite the protection from the Andes, Argentina is still impacted, and occurs every 2 to 10 years bringing much higher than average rainfall, and more hail storms which can damage crops, significantly increase the risk of disease and reduce harvest: in 2016 it resulted in 25% lower yields across the country, and 40% in Mendoza.
What are the general soil types throughout Argentina?
Mostly planted on alluvial soils deposited by rivers flowing down through the Andes. The texture of these soils vary.
Because of the alluvial origin, larger stones with calcerous deposits tend to dominate higher altitudes close to the Andes.
Middle areas are dominated by gravel, sand and silts.
Deeper clay, loam soils, which are nutrient rich, can be found in the lower areas.
Because of the dry continental climate, there is little organic matter from decomposed flora and fauna, resulting in particularly poor soils in higher areas: suitable for naturally low yielding vines and high quality viticulture.
What has investment in Argentinian wine industry resulted in for soil types?
Interest in how subtle differences in the texture and composition affect the characteristics and flavour of the wine. Deposits of calcerous soils have been found in areas such as Gaulatallary. And Paraje Altamira in Uco Valley and the Pedernal Valley in San Juan, which are increasingly being seen as sources of high quality wines.
How has area under vine changed between in the 1970s and 2019? Which vines are most prized?
Decreased significantly, was over 300,000 ha in 1970s and 80s and around 200,000 in 2019.
Faced with rapidly falling domestic demand, a vine pull scheme was introduced. Unfortunately, this included thousands of ha of Malbec before its quality potential was realised.
Despite this, almost 30% of vineyards are over 40 years old, and wines produced from old vines, especially Malbec, Bonarda and Semillon are being increasingly prized for concentration and complexity.
What is the state of water availability?
Rainfall is low, so irrigation is almost always essential. Rivers, eg Mendoza and tributaries deliver pure meltwater from the winter snow and glaciers in the Andes. This is collected by a series of dams and irrigation channels, many of which date back to the 16th century.
The water is distributed regularly and can be stored in reservoirs until the P requires.
What is the main choice of irrigation?
Many are by flood irrigation. When required, water is released on to the vineyard: the amount roughly equivalent to a heavy summer rainstorm. Many consider this most suitable because of the free-draining nature of the soils, as it allows water to drain deep. As a result, and because it is relatively cheap to install and maintain, this accounts for 70% of irrigation.
What is the secondary choice for irrigation? When is it appropriate?
Drip. On the increase. When planting new vineyards on sloped land, installing drip irrigation is often cheaper and easier than levelling the vineyard to make it suitable for flood irrigation.
In other cases, there may not be sufficient sources of above ground water (canals/rivers) for flood irrigation (water for drip is pumped from boreholes).
Increased efficiency and control are other benefits.
Water shortages can be a problem in some years in Mendoza, La Rioja and San Juan, so drip irrigation is the most sustainable option.
When is irrigation often applied?
For both flood and drip the typical and traditional timing is to give larger amounts in winter (replicating winter rainfall) and then low amounts in the growing season (every couple of days to couple of weeks, depending on if floor or drip is used), to ensure roots grow at depth to find water so the vine focused on fruit development rather than vigorous growth of shoots and leaves.
What vine training is common?
Traditionally pergola, called ‘parral’ in order to raise grapes away from the heat of the ground and provide shade. This is still widely used, especially for the criolla pink varieties (Criolla Chica and Grande, Cereza and Pedro Gimenez).
VSP is becoming more common as it enables more modern canopy management and drip irrigation.
What is the stance on rootstocks?
Phylloxera is present, but has never posed a real threat (many hypothesis about the sandy nature of many of the soils and the arid climate) and, as a result, many vines are ungrafted.
However, grafting is becoming increasingly common because of the threat of nematodes in the soil and because some rootstocks provide drought resistance.
What is the stance on organics/biodynamics?
Fungal disease threat is minimal, so very little need for spraying: ideal location.
The number of vineyards adopting practices is increasing, but certification remains relatively low.
What is the stance on harvesting?
Traditionally by hand by casual workers. However, cost of living is increasing and few people are willing to take on such low paid work. Mechanical harvesting is becoming more common.
What key modernisation has taken place in Argentina? What sparked these changes?
Foreign investment has caused:
-drip irrigation
-considerable improvements in canopy management
-better understanding of clonal selection, led by the work of Dr Nicolas Catena and Aldo Biondolillo on Malbec
-How picking grapes at different times can achieve different styles of wine.
-Considerable research has been conducted into how different soil types affect different styles of wine, with single-vineyard wines becoming increasingly common.
-P are searching for new areas to plant vines, with especial focus on higher up the mountains, further south and closer to the Atlantic.
What are the traditional varieties of Argentina? Profile? How significant are they today?
Criolla pink varieties. High yielding and pink skinned when fully ripe, producing lightly coloured wines.
They’ve long been used to make inex wines for the domestic market.
With the shift of focus to quality, plantings have been falling, but they still account for 20% of plantings with Cereza being the second most planted variety behind Malbec.
What is the division of plantings, compared between 1980s and present day?
Previously more whites than blacks as whites were preferred in the domestic market. From 1990s, with the shift in focus to quality production, black grape plantings rose rapidly and now account for 53%.
What is the history of Malbecs plantings?
Increased almost 350% from 1995-2018, now making up around 20% of plantings.
Initially this was reflecting a domestic change in focus on quality, then encouraged on by success on export markets.
What profile of Malbec has done well on export markets?
Is a vigorous, mid-ripening grape. In warm, sunny conditions it produces deep-coloured, full bodied wines with high levels of soft tannins, high alcohol and flavours of ripe blackberry and plum. This became especially successful and has been the key factor in rise in popularity of Argentinian wine internationally.
What styles of wine are produced by Malbec?
A wide range, from inex or mid lighter, fruitier wines to be drunk young, to structured, age worthy wines commanding premium and super premium.
Still used in blends, mainly with Bordeaux varieties and also with Syrah. (inex to super premium).
Also used for fresh, fruity roses.
What is the range of styles of Malbec from different microclimates?
Increased understanding of how it affects style:
From cooler sites (higher altitude or relatively high latitude); lower alcohol, medium + acidity, firm, medium + tannins often with a mix of red and black fruit, and floral or herbal aromas.
Warmer sites (low latitude or altitude) are usually fuller bodied with riper fruit, lower acidity and softer tannins.
P with vineyards in more than one area take advantage of different characteristics and blend.
Wines from single vineyards are increasingly common as P want to highlight quality and style from individual sites.
How was Malbec taken to Argentina? How does it now compare to France?
Cuttings arrived before phylloxera devastated French vineyards and contributed to a diversity of high quality planting material, which has been further honed by clonal research and massal selection.
In general, Argentinian clones have smaller berries and bunches and softer tannins than French.
What is the second most planted black variety? Where is it planted and main use cases?
Bonarda. Often called Bonarda Argentina to distinguish it from the Bonardas of Italy. Late ripening, so mainly planted in San Juan and the warmer areas of Mendoza.
High yielding, so used to produce large volumes of inex wines, mainly for domestic consumption. When yields are limited, it can produce wines of intensity and structure.
What is the general profile of Bonarda?
Deep colour, red and black fruit, med + acidity, medium tannins and alcohol. Oak can easily overpower, so when used it is old and/or large vessels. Its fruity nature and colour intensity make it a good blending partner, usually with Malbec or Cab Sauv.
Where can you find the best examples of Bonarda? Typical price?
Recently, some P have begun to make complex wines with riper black fruit flavours and spicy characteristics, esp from low yielding vineyards and old vines, eg those found in Maipu, Lujan de Cuyo and east of Mendoza. Many are still mid or just about premium.
What is the main market for Bonarda?
Yet to come out of Malbec’s shadow on exports: 85% consumed domestically.
Where can you mainly find Cab Sauv? What’s its main use case?
More susceptible to temp extremes and fungal disease, so site selection is essential.
Typically blended with Malbec in some of Argentinas top wines, but increasingly being used to make premium, single varietal wines. There’s considerable competition with Cab Sauv from other countries though.
What is the profile of Argentinian Cab Sauv?
Ripe high tannins, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit and spicy notes without a marked herbaceous character.
Where is Syrah typically found? Profile?
Successful in the hotter sites of Mendoza and San Juan (here planted more than Malbec), where it produces full bodied wines with high alcohol and ripe, black fruit flavours.
In cooler areas, it can produce more elegant wines with fresher fruit and firmer tannins.
What other black varieties are important in Argentina?
Tempranillo: medium tannins, medium-full body, red fruit and spice from oak maturation.
Merlot: traditionally used for Bordeaux style blends, plantings are decreasing.
PN: not in the top 10 varieties, but plantings are increasing and proving especially successful in Patagonia and the high elevation vineyards of the Uco Valley, producing concentrated, fruity wines.
Cab Franc: thought it has potential in Argentina, producing distinctive wines either singularly or bended with Malbec.
Petit Verdot & Tannat plantings are on the rise.
How have red winemaking styles evolved in the country?
Greatly influenced by French, Spanish and Italian immigrants of the 19th and early 20th centuries: traditionally fermented and matured in large oak barrels, sometimes with a hint of oxidation.
However, with the arrival of foreign investment and winemakers, there’s been a shift to more modern styles: Later harvesting, temp controlled ferm and maturation in (typically French) new oak, leading to full bodied, ripe, fruity wines with prominent new oak.
What are current red winemaking trends?
Harvesting earlier for fresher fruit, higher acid and lower alcohol. Some are experimenting with new techniques, e.g., natural fermentation, whole bunch/berry Ferm, gentler extraction and maturation in a variety of vessels (new barrels, old vats, concrete tanks/eggs), often blending together parcels that have been treated differently.
