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Flashcards in Chile + Argentina Deck (63)
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1
Q

Chile is wedged between which 2 natural boundaries?

A
  • Pacific Ocean to the west
  • Andes Mountains to the east
2
Q

When did viticulture first arrive in Chile?

Who brought it there?

A

Mid-1500s (16th century), brought to Chile by Spaniards

3
Q

How long is Chile?

A

2,670 miles long*

*4297 km

4
Q

How wide is Chile?

A

At its widest point, just about 100 miles wide.

5
Q

What is the name of the ocean current that cools down Chile?

A

Humboldt Current

It ushers in cool, moist air + fog.

6
Q

What is the name of the desert at the northern end of Chile?

A

Atacama Desert

7
Q

What is the name of the mountain range that creates a rain shadow in Chile?

A

Coastal Range

Same name as the range in the Pacific Northwest!

8
Q

Thanks to the rain shadow from Chile’s Coastal Range, what is the climate for the winegrowing areas between the Coastal Range and the Andes?

A

Warm Mediterranean

9
Q

Does the climate in Chile become hotter or cooler as you move further south?

A

Cooler

10
Q

In Chile, where are vineyards planted?:

  • valley floors
  • foothills/hillsides
  • high elevation
  • all of the above
A

All of those areas!

The wines’ expressions, color, and intensity will vary from all of these sites.

11
Q

In the 19th century, the majority of the vines that were planted in Chile came from _____.

A

Bordeaux

12
Q

What are the 2 main white grapes in Chile?

A
  1. Chardonnay
  2. Sauvignon Blanc

White grapes account for only 25% of all plantings in Chile.

13
Q

What are the 3 main red grapes in Chile?

A
  1. Cabernet Sauvignon
  2. Merlot
  3. Carmenère
14
Q

For a long time, many thought that the Carmenère planted in Chile was this other grape.

A

Merlot

15
Q

What vineyard pest does not exist in Chile?

Why?

A

Phylloxera

Phylloxera does not exist in Chile thanks to:

  • Chile’s geographical isolation
  • Chile’s strict agricultural quarantine laws
16
Q

Where does Chile’s irrigation water come from?

A

Andean snowmelt

17
Q

What wine laws (or appellation system) does Chile use?

A

DO (Denominación de Origen)

18
Q

Are hybrids allowed to use the DO system in Chile?

A

No, only Vitis vinifera

19
Q

What are the 6 regional DOs in Chile from north to south?

A
  1. Atacama
  2. Coquimbo
  3. Aconcagua
  4. Valle Central
  5. Sur
  6. Austral

Click here for a great wine map of Chile.

20
Q

Of Chile’s 6 DOs, which 2 are the most important?

A
  1. Aconcagua DO
  2. Valle Central DO

Both have noteworthy subregions nested within them.

21
Q

If a bottle of Chilean wine has one of the 6 DOs listed on the label as its DO, what minimum percent of the wine must come from that DO?

A

75%

22
Q

If a bottle of Chilean wine has a grape listed on the label, the wine must be what minimum percent of that stated grape?

A

75%

23
Q

If a bottle of Chilean wine has a vintage listed on the label, the wine must be what minimum percent of that stated vintage?

A

75%

24
Q

Even though Chile subscribes to the 75% minimum rule for stated grape, vintage, and DO, what minimum do they actually follow?

A

Chile exceeds that minimum and follows the EU’s 85% rule for stated grape, vintage, and DO.

25
Q

What are the nested subregional DOs of Aconcagua?

A
  1. Casablanca Valley DO
  2. San Antonio DO

Note that Aconcagua DO also has the nested, subregional Aconcagua Valley DO, but you only need to know Casablanca and San Antonio for this exam.

26
Q

Casablanca Valley DO and San Antonio Valley DO share the same climate.

What is the climate?

Where are they located (near or far from the coast)?

A

Cool maritime, very near the coast and west of the Coastal Range.

27
Q

What are the main grapes, both red and white, of Casablanca Valley DO and San Antonio Valley DO?

A
  1. Chardonnay
  2. Sauvignon Blanc
  3. Pinot Noir
28
Q

Valle Central DO in Chile is located between two mountain ranges: the _____ to the east and the _____ to the west.

A

Andes Mountains to the east

Coastal Mountains to the west

29
Q

Valle Central makes what percent of Chile’s overall wine production?

A

80%

Most of it is everyday table wine

30
Q

What is the climate of Valle Central?

A

Warm - hot

31
Q

Is Valle Central better known for white grapes or red grapes?

What are the grapes?

A

Red grapes:

  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Merlot
  • Carmenère
32
Q

What are the 4 DOs of Valle Central from north to south?

A
  1. Maipo Valley DO
  2. Rapel DO
  3. Curicó DO
  4. Maule DO
33
Q

What is Valle Central’s most important subregion?

A

Maipo Valley DO

34
Q

What grape is Maipo Valley DO best known for?

A

Cabernet Sauvignon

35
Q

Which South American country is the largest in terms of wine production?

Hint: it’s also the 5th largest producer in the world.

A

Argentina

36
Q

When were vineyards in Argentina revived, and by whom?

A
  • Late 1800s
  • By Italian and Spanish immigrants who were fleeing their European countries from famine; they brought their traditions of winemaking (and vine cuttings!) from their homelands
37
Q

Which South American country is on the eastern side of the Andes?

A

Argentina

38
Q

The Andes Mountains create a ____ _____ for Argentina, making the wine regions on the eastern side very warm, dry, and sunny.

A

Rain shadow

39
Q

The rain shadow Argentina experiences from the Andes means that it’s a very warm and dry region.

Because of this warmth, where is the best place for grapes to grow?

A

High altitudes so the grapes can benefit from cool nights (diurnal shifts).

40
Q

What is the average altitude at which grapes are grown in Argentina?

A

3000 ft asl (915 meters)

41
Q

What is the white grape Argentina is known for?

What’s it like?

A
  • Torrontés
  • Intensely fragrant and floral
42
Q

What are the 4 red grapes of Argentina?

A
  1. Malbec
  2. Bonarda
  3. Cabernet Sauvignon
  4. Syrah
43
Q

Why don’t Argentina’s vineyards suffer from fungal disease?

A

Because Argentina is in a rain shadow which keeps vineyards dry and low in humidity.

44
Q

Because Argentina is in a rain shadow, it doesn’t get a lot of rain.

Is Argentina allowed to irrigate, and if so, from where do they source the irrigation water?

A
  • Irrigation is neccessary in Argentina
  • Snowmelt from the Andes
45
Q

What irrigation systems are used to irrigate the vineyards in Mendoza IG?

A
  1. Flood irrigation (aka furrow irrigation)
  2. Drip irrigation
46
Q

What is the Zonda?

What can it do?

A
  • A strong wind that blows down from the Andes into Argentina in the late spring / early summer;
  • Can adversely affect the flowering stage in a vine’s annual cycle by blowing off flowers (which means a smaller crop yield at harvest).
47
Q

What is a weather hazard in Argentina?

A

Summertime hail, which can destroy berries and perforate leaves making them unable to photosynthesize.

48
Q

What wine laws are used to demarcate regions in Argentina?

A
  • IG (Indicaciones Geográficas)
  • DOC (Denominacíon de Origen Controlada)
49
Q

What do the IGs and DOCs demarcate in Argentina?

A

IGs = wine growing areas that are delimited by geographical or political boundaries.

DOCs = wine growing areas that grow specific grapes, practice particular viticultural methods, and have specific aging requirements.

Basically, the DOC is more strict and focused than the IG system.

50
Q

Name 3 important IGs in Argentina.

A
  1. Salta IG
  2. Mendoza IG
  3. Patagonia IG
51
Q

What is the important subregion of Salta IG?

A

Cafayate IG

52
Q

Salta IG is Argentina’s most:

  • northern
  • southern
  • western

region.

A

Northernmost

53
Q

What is the climate of Salta IG?

At what elevation are grapes grown in Salta?

A

Overall it’s a warm climate, but grapes are grown at high elevations so they can benefit from cooler air.

54
Q

Salta IG’s vineyards are known for being some of the ____est ______ in the world.

A

Highest elevation

Some are planted at nearly 10,000ft asl

55
Q

What are the grapes that grow in Salta IG?

A
  • Torrontés
  • Malbec
56
Q

What is the climate of Mendoza IG?

A

Super dry and Continental

The vineyards’ elevations plays a role, though, in temperatures and diurnal shifts.

57
Q

What is the main red grape of Mendoza IG?

A

Malbec

58
Q

Which IG of Argentina is the largest viticultural region?

A

Mendoza IG

59
Q

At what elevations are most vines in Mendoza IG planted?

A

2,000 - 4,000 ft asl

60
Q

What are Mendoza IG’s important subregions?

A
  1. Luján de Cuyo DOC
  2. Uco Valley IG
61
Q

Patagonia IG is Argentina’s most:

  • northern
  • southern
  • western

region.

A

Southernmost

62
Q

What are the grapes grown in Patagonia IG?

A
  1. Torrontés
  2. Malbec
  3. Cabernet Sauvignon
  4. Pinot Noir
63
Q

Why is elevation so important for viticulture in Argentina?

A

Because Argentina’s wine regions are so warm, sunny, and arid, if the vineyards were on the valley floor they’d just sunbake.

Planting the vineyards at higher elevations helps with maintaining freshness in the grapes and slows their development overnight.