Wine Region Blog - Uco Valley, Mendoza Province, Argentina
Uco Valley, Mendoza Province, Argentina
Uco Valley in Argentina has been referred to as the New Napa Valley of South America. Set in the Mendoza Province and approximately 600 miles west of Buenos Aires, it is known for its continental climate with four distinct seasons, higher elevations, endless supply of water, long growing season, and fertile sandy soil creating the perfect environment to grow and produce top quality wines. Argentina has three main wine regions, the North, Patagonia and Cuyo. The three sub-regions in Cuyo are La Rioja, San Juan and Mendoza. Mendoza is known for its tourist friendly wineries that offer free tours and wine tasting. Argentina is the largest wine exporter in South America and from the 1990’s forward became a top exporter of quality wines. Sixty percent of Argentine wine originates from Mendoza and its sub regions. This province rarely faces insects, fungi, molds or grape diseases due to its climate conditions and location. Surrounded and isolated by mountains and the sea, little to no pesticides is used and in November of 2010, the Argentine government declared wine as Argentina’s national liquor.
The first recorded commercial vineyard in Argentina was in 1557 by
Jesuit Missionaries during the Spanish Colonization of the Americas. Vine
cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero at first then spread to other
regions like Mendoza in the 1560’s and wine production began. The Missionaries
built complex irrigation channels and dams to bring water down from the melting
glaciers of the Andes Mountains. Today vineyards can apply for a government
regulated water license so they have access to water in reservoirs if needed.
Oak barrels are still used for aging as barrel aged wine is known to be more complex
and have a more interesting texture.
The Mendoza Region has five sub- regions, North, East ,Central, South
and Uco. Due to high altitudes with the highest at 5,580 ft above sea level,
the ideal conditions exist for growing top quality red and white grapes with
great aging capacity. The Uco Valley is 45 miles long and about 15 miles wide.
It follows the Tunuyan River north as it flows from the Andean Peaks. The Uco’s
three main sub-regions are Tupungato, Tunuyan and San Carlos. The dry,
continental climate has temperatures that are cool at night and warm in the
afternoon. The Valley boasts a rainfall of about 7-9 inches per year along with
sandy soil that may include clay, gravel and limestone. The porous nature of
the soil allows the roots to absorb the water efficiently. The town of Tunuyan
at a population of 45,000 is the heart of the Uco Valley. Currently there are
approximately 20 main wineries producing over 100 brand name wines.
Uco Valley enjoys greater than
250 sunny days per year to grow quality wines that are rich in color with
intense aromas and flavors. Red varieties are predominant in this area and the
good acidity levels of the grapes create a good aging capacity on the wines.
The top varietals include the red Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Bonarce. White wines include the Chardonnay,
Semillon , Torrontes, and Pedro Gimenez. The finest white wines of Mendoza such
as Chardonnay and Semillon are from the Uco Valley vineyards. The high
altitudes in Tupungato contribute to the flourishing Chardonnay vines. At
elevations of 2,800-5,000 ft and up, Uco Valley is the perfect growing
environment for many varietals. Semillon, a golden skinned grape that produces
a dry, sweet white wine or Barbera, a red Italian wine grape variety that have
deep colors and low tannins can be found. The Mendoza region in total is
1,500-5,580 ft above sea level.
One half of the red varieties in Mendoza are Cabernet, Sauvignon, Tempranillo
and other Italian varieties .Total vineyard acres is around 390,000 and boasts
an annual temperature of 59-66 degrees Fahrenheit.
Argentine laws dictate that if a grape name is on the label 80% of the
wine must be composed of that variety. Laws incorporate all wine regions in
Argentina and are not as restrictive as other countries. Instituto Nacional de
Vitiviniculturas is the main governing controlling body for the wine industry
and declares the beginning date for the harvest usually between February-April
of each year. The labels include the Vintage - year the grapes were harvested,
Type-red or white, Producer/Proprietary-main name of the vineyard, Country –
location wine originates, Region – of the vineyard and Grape Variety – ex.
Cabernet Sauvignon. Old Vine might also be included on the label and indicates
that the wine product of the grape vines is notably old. Vines can grow over 120 years old and
the older the vine equates to a better wine.
Sources:
VINO
ARGENTINO-An Insider’s Guide to the Wines and Wine Country of
About Wine by J. Patrick Henderson and Dellie Rey, 2011.
www.NY Times.com/2010/11/21/travel/21Mendo
No comments:
Post a Comment