Winos Unite: The Ultimate Guide to Latin American Vineyards

Almost every wine lover has made the pilgrimage to Napa and Sonoma, Burgundy, or even Tuscany, but there’s another hemisphere that’s waiting to be explored by oenophiles seeking a bit of adventure. There are amazing wineries in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, but we’d like to share some of our favorites in Latin America, especially those in Chile and Argentina. While we were researching our book Wines Of The Southern Hemisphere, we spent six months in these two countries alone, traveling north to south and east to west. Here’s what you need to know before you go.

Chile

You’re never more than a two hours drive from the ocean when you’re in Chile. A 2700 mile long by 110 mile wide ribbon of land wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, Chile’s winemaking history dates back to the first Spanish Conquistadors who arrived in the early 1500s. The original variety is Pais aka Mission grape that was fermented into Sacramental wine for the Catholic Mass. Today winemakers are using traditional European varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot to name just a few.

Cousiño Macul

Worth a stop just to visit the beautiful park surrounding the winery, Cousiño Macul is one of the only wineries within Santiago’s city limits. The current chairman, Carlos Cousiño, the sixth generation descendent of the original founder, told us that his is the only remaining 19^th Century Chilean winery still owned and operated by its original founding family. Call to schedule an intensive tasting of their fine wines. Some of our favorites include Cousiño Macul Finis Terrae and Cousiño Macul Antiguas Reservas Chardonnay.

Montes

One of Chile’s younger wineries, Montes was founded in 1987 by Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murry. The visitor experience includes a fun tour of the vineyard and the winery. There’s a choice of tastings to please everyone’s palate and make sure to carve out some time in your schedule to stay for lunch…you won’t be disappointed.

Concha y Toro

Founded in 1883 by Don Melchor Concha y Toro, Concha y Toro is one of Chile’s largest wineries. It’s located in nearby Pirque, a short drive from Santiago, but if you have limited time and are staying in the city, you can visit Concha y Toro’s tasting lounge in the Alonso de Cordova shopping area. When you do visit the winery be sure to ask to see the Casillero del Diablo cellar, where Don Melchor kept his best wines. Legend has it that he effectively stopped his employees from stealing by telling them that he saw the Devil hiding among the barrels. Don’t forget to taste the Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon and Concha y Toro’s flagship wine, Don Melchor.

Next, we travel to Argentina…[pagebreak]Argentina

If you think about tango dancers in smoky nightclubs and gauchos trotting across la pampa you have only a small snapshot of life in Argentina. If you think about choice cuts of perfectly grilled grass-fed beef and a glass of inky purple Malbec with heady flavors of black plum, dark cherry, and chocolate you’re getting closer to life in the beautiful wine region of Mendoza. Grape cuttings were first brought to Argentina in 1557 by Spanish conquistadors but Argentine and French winemakers began planting international varietals in the 1970s.

Catena Zapata

Nicolas Catena was one of the first pioneers in Argentina in the 70s and 80s and today his tradition continues with his daughter Laura. The beautiful Catena Zapata Winery is an amazing replica of an imposing Mayan temple. Visitors should plan to spend at least half of a day visiting the winery and tasting the delicious wines. Make sure to enjoy Catena Zapata Malbec and Catena Zapata Chardonnay while you’re there. Catena Zapata wines receive high scores from many international publications and the winery was named New World Winery of the Year, 2010 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Bodega Salentein

Built in the shape of a cross with four distinct wings and a circular central chamber forming an amphitheater, Bodega Salentein is simply stunning to the eye. It is set on over 5000 privately owned acres and encompasses the beautiful Posada Salentein, which offers visitors a relaxing overnight experience, the Kilka Center for Culture and Arts, and the peaceful Chapel of Gratitude. The tasting room has beautiful frescos covering the ceiling and meals are served in an elegant dining room overlooking the vines. When it comes to their wines, we especially love the Los Leones Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas of red fruits, black pepper, and green bell pepper and the Finca El Portillo Sauvignon Blanc with tropical aromas of white peaches, mango, and guava.

Terrazas de los Andes

Owned by the French conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey, Terrazas de los Andes is making delicious Argentine wines with a decidedly French flair. Terrazas de los Andes grows many European varieties such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Torrontés, but it also has lesser-known varieties such as Petit Manseng. The winemaking is under the watchful eyes of Herve Birnie-Scott, as well as Nicolas Audebert – who also makes wine at the group’s prestigious Cheval des Andes. Visit the winery for a guided tasting in their retro-hip tasting room fitted with aeronautic stainless steel furniture or stay for a few days at the private guest house and ask if Chef Manuel can give you a lesson in the art of making Argentine Empanadas. We think the Torrontes is ethereal, but save some room for the meat friendly, single vineyard Malbecs.