In my last regional overview, we went to Portugal. So, I figured the next natural progression would be to talk about Port, a fortified wine made by adding grape spirit to a fermenting juice to create an alcoholic sweet wine. As I mentioned in my Portugal post, the key Port-making region is the Douro Valley. To learn more about the other grape growing regions of Portugal, please see the original post.
Have your Port hat on?
[Answer(s) based on WSET Level 3 material]
There is so much to know about Spanish wine—I’ve only now come to realize (and appreciate) the vast diversity of the grapes grown and the wine styles produced. That being said, this is definitely one country that I’m worried will stuff me up on my upcoming exam (one month away, by the way). So let’s take a look at some Q&A and see if we can’t unravel the intricacies of this Old World wine country…
[Answer(s) and information based on WSET Level 3 material]
Oh, you guys. Chile is a lot more complicated than I initially thought it would be. Help me break it down a bit?
Short Intro:
Chile’s winegrape growing region is a long skinny one, with vineyard plantings spanning over 900 kilometers from north to south, but just 100 kilometers from east to west. The four key geographical features that define the area are 1) the Pacific Ocean to the West along with the coastal ranges 2) the Andes to the east 3) two mountain ranges that merge just north of Santiago and 4) the great depression between the two ranges to the south of Santiago creating what is called the Central Valley.
[Answer(s) and information based on WSET Level 3 material]
Chile has a warm, Mediterranean climate. One major vineyard concern is drought, as the regions are dry and sunny and experience minimal annual rainfall. Although irrigation is utilized, water for irrigation is in short supply. The other concern comes with the weather: El Niño and La Niña. El Niño refers to periods of dramatically increased rainfall levels; La Niña refers to periods of excessive drought.
Funny story time: During my tutoring session, my teacher told an amusing anecdote about a WSET Level 3 test she proctored. One woman in the back of the room became visibly upset: huffing and puffing and stirring in her seat. Finally, she grabs her paper, walks up to the head of the classroom and bursts out, “Torrontés? Torrontés??? Are you, serious? Torrontés isn’t important!” To which my teacher replied, “Well, it is in Argentina…”
Amusing, yes. But it also proves a point—all wine regions are important to understand and appreciate. And, on a personal note, I find that while I’m studying these wines different countries—many of which I’ve yet to visit—I’m also gaining an understanding and appreciation for the history, culture, and people, even if just on a surface-level.
So with that amusing and that personal anecdote, I am jumping the equator and traveling to Argentina.
To set the scene Argentina’s wine regions lie along the other side of the Andes as Chile. The regions are spread out over more than 1,500 kilometers from north to south, with most lying at extremely high altitudes—600 meters or more.
[Answer(s) and information based on WSET Level 3 material]
You guys, I have to get out of France and move on to other countries. But before I do, the OCD in me needs to cover one last section: Dordogne and South West France. To set the scene, Dordogne is located to the east of Entre-Deux-Mers (Bordeaux), producing wines from the same grape varieties used in that region. What is referrred to as “The South West of France” is a compilation of a number of wine regions utilizing grapes that are not often used in Bordeaux, if at all.
Ready for this amazingness? Let’s dive in…
[Information based on WSET Level 3 material]