The flavor of berry sauce in wine of Patagonia
Discover the of Patagonia wines revealing the of berry sauce flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).
Patagonia is South America's southernmost wine-producing region. Despite being one of the world's least-obvious places for quality viticulture, this desert region – with its cool, DryClimate – has proved itself well suited to producing Elegant red wines from Pinot Noir and Malbec.
The geographical region covers a vast area – around twice the Size of California – across southern Argentina and Chile. Patagonia is more closely associated with dinosaurs and desert than with fine wine, but it has a viticultural zone that stretches 300 kilometers (200 miles) along the Neuquen and Rio Negro rivers, from Anelo in the west to Choele Choel in the east.
The zone is closer to the Andes Mountains than to the Atlantic Ocean, but is at a much lower altitude than its northern cousin of Mendoza, averaging about 300m (1,000ft) above sea level.
Patagonia is a desert, and viticulture is possible only near the rivers, where meltwater from the Andes is abundant for irrigation. The classic desert climate of Warm days and cold nights extends the growing season in the region, slowing ripening in the grapes and letting them develop RichVarietal character while retaining acidity.
Patagonia has gained recognition within the wine world due to the two viticultural regions located in its northern section: the more-established Rio Negro and the newer, still developing Neuquen.
Wines from these two zones are traditionally more European in style than those from the Central and northern regions of Argentina, as a result of the areas' cooler climate and higher latitude. While Malbec still plays a central role in Patagonian wine, it is Pinot Noir that has become the region's iconic grape variety. Excellent white wines made from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling also showcase the freshness of the region's climate.
The grapes have been picked and Argentina is able to file another successful harvest for 2022, to match the previous four years. However producers are reporting that 2022 was the most singular of recent vintages, with each region experiencing its own challenges. Mendoza ‘The 2021-2022 season reminds me of a good Hollywood movie,’ said Martín Kaiser, viticulturist at Doña Paula in Mendoza. ‘It certainly kept us entertained. Our hearts were in our mouths all the way through, but it had a great end ...
I first contributed to Decanter back in November 1988; the hundreds of columns and articles I’ve written since constitute a journey of discovery. I squirm, though, if I’m described as a ‘wine expert’. Whatever wine knowledge we acquire quickly cools, congeals and crusts over, like custard or gravy, as the years pass. The wine world expands at a clip. Every vintage rewrites history. It’s the chance to share discoveries – not just about wines, but about people, places and the act of drinking itsel ...
Decanter contributor and Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) judge Amanda Barnes has been awarded the Debut Drink Book award in the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2022 for her The South America Wine Guide book. The annual Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, now in its 10th year, champions the achievements of the UK’s current and emerging writers, editors, publishers, photographers, broadcasters and personalities who ‘encourage us to enjoy, explore, experiment and discover more ab ...