Wine Wisdom: A Trip To The Wine Countries Of Chile & Argentina

As Newtown residents were heading into the center of town to see clowns, floats and fire trucks this past Labor Day weekend, I was facing a totally unfamiliar sight. Below me were the snow-capped Andes Mountains as my plane prepared to land in Santiago, Chile. The wine country of Chile awaited me!

   After a day in Santiago, we began the drive to Leyda and the Campo Lindo vineyard that had recently been planted by the Cono Sur Winery. Turning off the main highway, we were greeted by miles of muddy road, a few horses, and a lot of cows. When we arrived at the vineyard, we were greeted by sheep. Although we thought the sheep were unwanted intruders, they were actually there to help keep the weeds down between the vines.

The sheep were our first introduction to Cono Sur’s huge commitment to farming organically. The Campo Lindo vineyard consists of over 30,000 incredibly isolated acres. Over half of the acreage is being farmed completely organically, with the rest of the vineyard using as little chemical intervention as possible. Once the vineyards are mature, they will produce organic wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc.

   Surprisingly, we found our way out of the Campo Lindo vineyard. After being revitalized with amazingly fresh seafood accompanied by some crisp, clean Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, it was time to visit the Cono Sur winery in the town of Chimbarongo in the Colchauga Valley. Many of the vineyards at the winery are also being farmed organically. From white spiders to geese to “super manure,” we learned about the many techniques that go into organic farming.

We were also able to see the winery’s incredible commitment to making world class Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir is actually made in its own separate facility within the winery. My tasting notes for the five different Pinot Noirs produced include repeated references to bright fruit, elegance, and richness. In other words, Cono Sur’s commitment to Pinot Noir is paying off.

Sadly, our time in Chile was limited, and it was time to move on to Argentina. I was leaving behind an incredibly diverse and vibrant wine producing country.

Argentina Beckons

Heading over the Andes once again, the short flight from Santiago, Chile to Mendoza, Argentina revealed more incredible views of the omnipresent Andes Mountains. Although I greatly enjoyed my time in Chile, the wines, vineyards, and empanadas of Argentina were beckoning.

From the city of Mendoza, with the Andes on our right, we drove south to the Dona Paula winery and vineyards in Lujan de Coyo and a meeting with winemaker David Bonomi.

Lujan de Coyo is in the desert and Argentina only receives about eight inches of rain per year. Needless to say, it was raining when we arrived.

In spite of the weather, we were still able to taste numerous wines of Los Cardos and Dona Paula from the Lujan de Coyo vineyards. The wines included a lovely 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon that would certainly stand up well to anything the Napa Valley has to offer.

We also tasted some Malbec wines that were just sensational. Malbec is a red grape that thrives in the vineyards of Argentina. David will take his best batches of Malbec and produce a wine they call “Seleccion de Bodega.” The 2005 vintage was a beautiful red wine that should age nicely for another ten years. It will also pair beautifully with the beef that they are so justifiably famous for in Argentina.

After filling up on some of that beef (and a few more empanadas), we set out for the vineyards of the Uco Valley. We left the highway and bounced our way down the dirt roads until we were just a few miles from the base of the Andes. Here we found beautiful high elevation vineyards (and a little bit of snow).

The vineyard manager, Edy (Eddie) Del Popolo, explained that the quality of the grapes from these vineyards was special because of the altitude. Along with Malbec, Dona Paula also grows Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Merlot in the Uco Valley.

Sadly it was time to leave behind the Andes, and the tasty reds and whites of Argentina. Hopefully, the understanding of what makes Argentina’s wines special will stay with me quite a bit longer.

(Newtown resident and oenophile Steve Small is the general manager at Yankee Wine & Spirits on Queen Street.)