Argentina

Question 1

Overall Style, Quality tank method: Argentina

Answer 1

fruity
off-dry to medium-dry
Quality (tank):
acceptable to good

Question 2

Overall Style, Quality (traditional method): Argentina

Answer 2

Chardo/PN based
ripe apple, lemon
light autolytic notes
Brut in style
Quality (traditional):
good - v. good

Question 3

actors affecting temperature / sunlight - Argentina

Answer 3

• Inexpensive sparkling: carbonated or tank method: warm parts of Mendoza (alongside still wine grapes)
• Higher quality: Luján de Cuyo & Uco Valley
• Very high altitude = cool enough to preserve delicate flavours & acidity
• New sparkling vineyards: Neuquén & Río Negro (Patagonia)
• Southerly latitude = lower temps
• High diurnal range (continentality) = cool days & nights

Question 4

hazards, pests diseases Argentina:

Answer 4

hail
spring frosts in some areas
nematodes
rel. little spraying required against fungal diseases due to the dry climate.

Question 5

Grape varieties Argentina

Answer 5

• Largest plantings: Pedro Giménez (declining over last 10 yrs)
• Pedro Giménez = one of the Criollas (descended from Euro vars, intro’d by Spanish/Portuguese)
• Not related to Spanish Pedro Ximénez
• Other top 5:
  
  • Chardonnay: up >30% this century
  • Chenin Blanc
  • Pinot Noir: up \~80% this century (from low base)
  • Ugni Blanc

Question 6

anopy management, harvest Argentina

Answer 6

• Harvest: 1–2 months before still wine grapes
• Aim: avoid high alc & preserve acidity
• Some wineries own vineyards
• Many source grapes from independent growers

Question 7

Argentina winemaking options: Inexpensive: carbonation

Incl Grapes

Answer 7

Most commonly from Pedro Giménez, Chenin Blanc and Semillon

also used to produce sparkling wines with additional fruit flavourings, typically strawberry

Question 8

Argentina Tank method (grapes, pricing)

Answer 8

mid-priced products

wide range of varieties, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Question 9

Argentina winemaking options Traditional method:
Versions, grapes, lees, style

Answer 9

• Blending sites (warmer + cooler): key for suitable base wine
• Mid-priced & premium wines
• Grapes from best sites (mainly Chard/Pinot Noir)
• Vintage & NV styles
• Most spend ≥12m on lees; many with extended ageing
• Style:
  • Ripe apple & lemon
  • Autolytic notes
  • Med to med(+) acidity, body & alc
  • Mostly white
• Price:
  • Few super-premium (e.g. Baron B Unique)
  • Use best fruit + longer lees (e.g. 18m)

Question 10

Producers market situation Argentina:
- how many
- development

Answer 10

• Production limited until recent yrs, now growing rapidly
• Increasing vols, styles, varieties & price points
• Most made by tank method; carbonation & traditional also used
• Many wineries new to sparkling; investing to expand ranges
• \~160 wineries now produce sparkling:
  • Majority in Mendoza
  • Some in Neuquén, Río Negro & San Juan

Question 11

Recent development in Argentina

Answer 11

• Sparkling sector boosted post-2005
• Gov’t & wine trade deal: 12% domestic tax removed
• In exchange: industry invested in sparkling wine
• Part of broader policy to promote Argentinian wine
• Helped drive recent growth in sparkling production & sales

Question 12

consumption in Argentina, most poplar style?

Answer 12

domestic market: virtually all Argentinian sparkling wine

great majority is bought from retailers for home consumption

most popular style is Seco (64 per cent): in Argentina = less than 11g/L = equivalent to the upper end of Brut in the EU

Question 13

Players in Argentina:

Answer 13

Leading companies:
- Moët Hennessy (includes Chandon and ‘Baron B’ brands)
- Llorente
- Mumm (part of Pernod Richard)
- Norton

Many large European companies invested to produce still and sparkling wines for SA market:
Freixenet and Sogrape (Finca Flichman).