Wines of Mexico

Many people might be surprised to learn that Mexico has a thriving wine culture. One of the first things colonists brought from Europe were grape vines so they could make their own wine. In Mexico, the history of wine has been as tortured as in the United States, but there are regions that are starting to gain renown as worthwhile contenders on the national stage. The most prominent is the Baja California region, producing a predominance of red varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz.

The Wines of Argentina

Argentina has a flourishing, internationally-recognized wine industry. The unique geography of its primary wine region, Mendoza, helps set it apart. The region is nestled in the foothills and slopes of the Andes, the arid environment exposes the grapes to amazing amounts of sun while the high altitude keeps the temperatures low enough to keep the fruit from over-ripening too quickly. While Mendoza produces about 60% of the nation's wine, other regions like La Rioja and San Juan are gaining renown.

Malbec is the grape that has earned Argentina its place on the world stage of wine. The climate helps the grape reach the pinnacle of ripeness, creating rich and round flavors. This works well for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and some Italian grapes like Barbera. These same conditions mean that white wines tend to be a bit soft and flabby, but Torrontes is the rare white grape from this country that thrives.

One other reason that the region has gained popularity is the cost of these great wines. Other than some small artisinal producers, the cost of a bottle from Argentina is considerably lower than most other wine regions, so great deals can be found in any price range.

How-To: Read an Australian Wine Label

Being a New World wine country, Australian wine labels are a bit more understandable to American wine drinkers. The name of the producer and the wine region might not be familiar, but most of the rest of the info will look the same

The label will always include information on:

•  The brand 
•  The name & address of the wine maker
•  The  country of origin
•   The region, where applicable
•   The grape used
•   The alcohol content

Same language. Same info. Not much different than any American wine label. 

What Does a Wine Label Mean by DOC?

Like France, Italy has attempted to codify their most renowned and historic wine regions, to protect the brand. "Denominazione di Origine Controllata" translates as "Controlled Designation of Origin", and denotes a wine from a specific region, created in a traditional style from specific varietals or blends. There are over 300 recognized regions, and they make up the most recognizable Italian wines:

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Barbera d'Asti
Dolchetto d'Asti
Marsala
Orvieto
Prosecco
Soave
Valpolicella 
Kalterersee
Bolgheri
Langhe

 

This doesn't necessarily speak to quality though, mostly focusing on historic wine producing regions. DOCG or  "Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita" or "Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin" is only handed out to a few very specific regions, and is supposed to indicate higher quality traditional wines. A few more recognizable names:

Barolo
Chianti 
Aglianico del Taburno
Soave Superiore
Barbaresco

What Italian Varietals are Grown in the United States?

Exploring United States-grown Italian varietals requires some effort, but once you start looking, you find them everywhere. California's varying climates and vast production leads the way, with thousands of acres of Italian varietals under production. Barbera and Tocai Friulano are not uncommon there. Pinot Gris, the French version of Pinot Grigio, can be found all over the United States, as can Sangiovese, the grape used in Chianti. Other U.S. regions experiment with  varietals like Montepulciano, Aglianico, and even more esoteric grapes. It's fun to try something "different" from a favorite winemaker, especially from large producers known for their Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Merlot. You might have to do some digging, however, to find these grapes in your local wine store. Some might argue that Italian grapes should stay in Italy, where they are meant to be grown. If we went with that premise, though, we wouldn't have wine regions in this country: all of our wine grapes were imported at one point or another.

Did You Know?... About the Wine Regions of Italy

What To Expect from Italian Wine?

We might not know all there is to know about Italian wines, but when we think of the food culture that surrounds them, the image of boisterous family meals springs to mind. While our personal expectation for a French wine is to be nuanced and refined, we think of Italian wines as bold and aggressive.

Apparently, we were not completely off base in our assumptions. Barolos from the best producers are powerful, flavor-filled wines that can retain a punch after decades of aging. Many of the whites are bracingly acidic, even in the warm Mediterranean climate. But in the North, as the seaside gives way to the foothills of the Alps, Italy is a very different place for wine.

In our exploration of Italian wine, we picked up a few bottles from the Alto Adige region. The first bottle we tried was something unexpected, a red more in line with the cold climate wines we know. Then, two bottles from the same producer gave us a chance to learn a little bit more. A light bodied red, full of big and bold fruit flavors with an undertone of minerality...but still "light bodied." The white wine was not such a surprise: a bright and mouth watering wine with delicate flavors.

It seems that, while we thought we had a general idea of what to expect, we learned there can be a wide range of wine styles within even a small countries borders.

Did You Know?... About the Alto Adige Region of Italy

Alto Adige is a region in northern Italy in the Alps, on the border with Germany and Switzerland. The wines of the region have as much in common with German wines as Italian, stretching from the warm Mediterranean to the cool foothills of the Alps. The Gewurztraminer grape is originally from the village of Tramin in Alto Adige.

How-To: Make Educated Guesses about Different Wine Regions

These days, everyone seems to be producing wine. Anywhere you travel, there is a good chance you'll come across a local wine region. When a wine region is totally new to you, use these rules of thumb to help give you a general idea of what you can expect from the wines.

• Grapes: Some varietals, like Pinot Noir or Riesling can vary wildly from region to region, but others, like Malbec or Sauvignon Blanc usually present very similar flavor profiles no matter where they come from.
• Neighboring Regions: Northern California shares a lot of characteristics with Oregon, while Northern Italy is similar to Southern Germany. Look to nearby regions that you know more about for clues.
• Climate: Climate is a big clue. You are unlikely to find big, bold red wines from cool regions.
• Age of Region: The reality of winemaking is that even the best winemaker cannot coax too many complex flavors out newly planted vines. 

Did You Know?... About Pennsylvania Wine Country?

Like most states, Pennsylvania has a growing wine region. Currently, the state boasts more than 100 wineries spread throughout the state, making it the 7th largest producer of wine in the country. Wineries are most prevalent in the Southwest of the state, near Philadelphia, and in the Niagara region near Lake Erie. The state wine makers still make a wine range from native varietals like Concord and Niagara, but they are beginning to find success with Noble grapes as well, like Riesling and Cabernet Franc.

Did You Know?... About Argentinian Wine

Argentina is the fifth largest wine producer in the world. Vineyards flourish in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, with Malbec being the most renowned varietal produced in the country. For white wines, the most well regarded is the Torrontes grape. There are a large number of wine producing regions within Argentina, but the largest is Mendoza, followed by San Juan and La Rioja.

Due to the elevation of most of Argentina's vineyards, the phylloxera infestation that destroyed the vitus vinefera vines throughout the rest of the world hasn't found a foothold here. Along with Chile, which also has vineyards in high altitudes, Argentina is one of the few places that non-hybridized grapes can still be found.

Did You Know?... About Canadian Wine?

Although Canada produces only a tiny portion of the world's wine, it is good to acknowledge the growing wine regions. Wine is grown throughout the country, but the largest amount of production is in the southern regions of Ontario, in the Niagara Peninsula, and the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. While wineries can produce a wide range of wines suited to the colder climate of Canada, many focus on producing Ice Wines, which can be produced with greater reliability than in most other wine growing regions.

Did You Know?... About the Loire Valley

The Loire Valley runs from the western coast of France through the central regions of the country. The region is most known for its white wines, especially Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. The region produces a wide range of other varietals, but Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc result in some of their other world class wines.

Did You Know?...About Cotes du Rhone Villages

Cotes du Rhone-Villages is a sub-region of the Cotes du Rhone AOC in France, near Avignon. Comprised of a handful of villages, the vineyards here are considered to produce higher quality wine than the general region.The wines must contain mostly Grenache grape.

Did You Know?... About Wine in South Africa

South Africa is the oldest "New World" wine growing region. In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company established vineyards to serve sailors landing Cape Town. The industry has risen and fall through the years, and is working hard to establish itself on the international stage after the fall of apartheid. South African grows a range of French grapes with varied success, but they are most known for their Pinotage and Chenin Blanc wines.

Why Are There So Many Wine Regions in France?

In the Middle Ages, the monks in France grew lots of wine. Through a variety of methods, they acquired large plots of arable land, and filled them with vines. As they experimented with wine-making, they carefully documented where the best grapes grew, and broke down their vineyards into very precise plots of land. After the French Revolution, the Church lost most of its land holdings, but farmers kept the plots of land as laid out by the monks.

French wine regions can be broken up into increasingly specific grades:

• Region: The major AOCs of France, extending mostly along the river valleys.
• Village: Within the AOCs there are villages known for the quality of their wine, with specific protected status.
• Vineyard: Within villages, the monks laid out very precise vineyards that have kept their status through the centuries, even as they have changed hands through the generations.

Any of this information can show up on the label, in addition to the specifics of the winemaker, so that makes for a lot of names that a French wine connoisseur must learn. This is one reason French wine can feel so confusing.

Did You Know?... About St. Helena AVA

St. Helena is an American Viticultural Area in the Napa Valley Region of California. It doesn't get as much access to the cooling fogs of the lower valley, so it tends towards warmer growing temperatures, but rugged soil conditions stress the vines, helping create powerfully flavorful wines.

Did You Know?... About Cote de Nuits-Villages

Cote de Nuits-Villages is a sub-region of the "Burgundy" AOC in France. It's at the northern edge of the Cote d'Or in the north of Burgogne, near the city of Dijon. The region produces mostly red wines from the Pinot Noir grape. Most of the estates are very small, producing only a few thousand cases a year.  

"Burgundy" is the English spelling of "Burgogne."

Best of 2012: Did You Know?

In 2012, you wanted to learn all about different wine regions and grapes. Here are your most viewed (by pageview) Wednesday "Did you know...?" posts:

5. Long Island Wine Region
4. About Cotes du Ventoux
3. About Zinfandel
2. The Wine Regions of California
1. Wine with Artichokes

Did You Know?... About Italy's Umbria Region

Umbria is a region in Italy, small in both area and production of wine. It's a hilly region at the middle interior of Italy, similar in climate to neighboring Tuscany. It is most famous for wine from the Orvieto DOC, made from Trebbiano grapes, but also produces high quality reds from the Sangiovese grape, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir.