The best bit about my job is to be in our shop on a busy Saturday, where I can chat with friends and customers about the delights of wine! It is a lovely social event, especially as we always have wines open to taste at the weekend.
A close second has to be visiting the vineyards and wineries of our suppliers but of course, this is an expensive rarity. A good third place is to visit one of the many generic wine tastings that are held around the country, which brings me to Chile! Just this week, in Manchester, there was a major tasting showing 500 wines from over 60 producers large and small; and what an interesting day it was!
Chile is really developing some super wine styles all of its own and it is the country’s regionality that is the key to these variations. Wine regionality is not a new thing, I am sure you are all familiar with French appellations such as Bordeaux, Champagne or Burgundy, all of which have a distinctive wine style. So, similarly, Chile has identified the best areas for certain grape varieties. For example; the Maipo Valley is without doubt, the best area for Cabernet Sauvignon whilst Rapel is the place for Merlot and especially for the up and coming Carmenere.
But it is the newly discovered areas that are the most exciting. The stunning Leyda valley is close to the ocean and near the second port of Chile, San Antonio. From there we are seeing wonderful Pinot Noir’s plus fragrant and floral Sauvignon Blancs. Also, look out for the Limari Valley. Limari is 400kms north of the more traditional wine growing areas and it is a desert region! It 20 kms from the ocean and it is very hilly due to old river courses that have shaped the land as they poured out into the sea. These valleys draw in cool ocean air in the evenings which chill the vines at night thus slowing the ripening process. The other key to the area is water. Only certain parts of the Limari Valley have any access to the underground artesian wells which means that the land with water is workable, the rest is valueless desert.
These factors combined with a dry climate create an area that is capable of producing world class Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay wines.
So, today I have found some super new wines which will soon be on our shelves to coincide with the launch of our latest list at our annual tasting at the Park Royal Hotel on the 22nd November.
Yours in Wine
Ruth Yates
Last updated: December 02, 2007