Chilean Winemakers Show Resilience, Mustering Quality In The Face Of Challenging Vintages
Chile’s vintners are working from a strong foundation that inspires their efforts as they look to the future. As a whole, the country continues to over deliver on quality for price, establishing a record of enduring market vigor that gives producers some breathing room to discover what comes next. Top winemakers seem in constant motion to solidify their identity on the world stage, and veterans and newcomers alike are exploring the country’s overlooked grapes and terroirs.
But challenges are constant, particularly the hurdles put up in recent vintages courtesy of Mother Nature. Beginning in 2014, when a severe spring frost cut yields significantly, the skill and ingenuity of Chilean winemakers has been put to the test.
The warm 2015 vintage saw an early harvest, requiring vintners to be extra-diligent in the cellars to achieve fresh-tasting wines. In 2016, rain plagued many regions, and in some instances, rot affected quality. To cap it off, forest fires ravaged the country in the austral summer just past, burning some vineyards and raising the prospect of smoke taint, especially in the southern regions of Maule and Itata.
It’s a turnabout from the country’s usually beneficent conditions. The Mediterranean climate normally provides a warm, dry growing season, and waters from Andean snow melt offer a plentiful irrigation supply. But that regime has been disrupted lately, with cycles of drought offset by ill-timed rains.
Denne historien er fra May 31, 2017-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 31, 2017-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Shipwrecked Champagne Hoard Discovered Near Sweden
It sometimes feels like wine has a habit of falling into the briny deep. On July 23, Polish wreck diver and underwater photographer Tomasz Stachura announced that he and his Baltictech team had discovered the wreck of a 19th-century sailing ship near Öland, an island off the coast of Sweden—and it was crammed with bottles of Champagne and mineral water.
Openings: The Latest in Napa Tasting
Several new tasting options have opened in Napa Valley, particularly in downtown Napa where wineries are launching satellite tasting rooms. Standing out from the crowd means trying new approaches. Here are some highlights:
War in Middle East Affects Vintners
The 2024 harvest at Israel’s Dalton Winery was punctuated by nonstop rocket and drone attacks launched from just across the border in Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon.
Wineries Sue Napa County in Federal Court
Three Napa wineries filed a joint lawsuit in federal court in September alleging that Napa County officials violated their constitutional rights.
Savoring Persimmon Season
For many, persimmons are an enigma ingredient. Chef David Nayfeld of Award of Excellence-winning Che Fico in San Francisco and its Best of Award of Excellence sibling dangling persimmons off the tree with a stick at a childhood friend's house before realizing what they were. \"I remember his parents saying, 'Hey, don't hit the persimmons, those are food!\"\"
Tasting Plate: A German Six-Pack
Though it boasts Western Europe’s largest population and biggest economy, Germany is nowhere near the cheese juggernaut its neighbors Switzerland and France are. That said, the Germans love their fine cheeses, and they do turn out some excellent ones, fortunately including more than a handful that are currently available here in the U.S.
Gigondas Blanc Est Arrivé!
Ask winemakers in the Southern Rhône to name the most exciting white grape in their region and you will hear a growing number of them say \"Clairette.\"
Kistler's DARKER SIDE
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ups the ante at the house that Chardonnay built
THE SPLENDOR OF CHAMPAGNE
THE REGION'S LEADING PRODUCERS DELIVER HIGH QUALITY AMID A DIVERSE RANGE OF STYLES
MICHAEL BATTERBERRY: 1932-2010 Gourmet, Journalist, Gentleman
Before Food Network, Top Chef or Yelp ... before the term “foodie\" ... before tomatoes were heirloom and sushi was fast food... back when fancy restaurants were always French... Michael Batterberry and his wife, Ariane, were working to celebrate and elevate the status of American chefs and international cuisine. Julie Mautner, Food Arts' former executive editor, looks at the life and legacy of her late mentor, affectionately known as The Bat.
