South America
Every year school comes to an end in June, and then the inevitable Gap Yah pilgrimage occurs, as hordes of teenagers on a mission of ‘self-discovery’ scamper merrily off in to the distance. Said distance often seems to come in the form of South America, so really it’s a shame said discovery is quite so self interested, since in my humble opinion ‘grape discovery’ would be a much more beneficial exercise.
Argentina and Chile are South America’s 2 most important wine producing countries, but contrary to popular belief and its ‘New’ World label, vine growing and wine production has been kicking around for quite some time in this part of the Southern Hemisphere. As early as the 1500’s, Franciscan Monks started growing vines to make wine for ‘religious purposes’ (who exactly they were trying to kid I don’t know. The resident Alpacas perhaps?).
That said, it turns out that the Monks were considerably more adept in the religious department than that of viticulture, because it wasn’t until the 1800’s that plantings of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere really got things under way for the South Americans. Since then they haven’t looked back, and today their wine industry is booming – primarily with the bulk sale of inexpensive wines, but also with some of the most respected wines in the world; Chile’s Almavia coming in at about £743 per case.
Argentina and Chile are South America’s 2 most important wine producing countries, but contrary to popular belief and its ‘New’ World label, vine growing and wine production has been kicking around for quite some time in this part of the Southern Hemisphere. As early as the 1500’s, Franciscan Monks started growing vines to make wine for ‘religious purposes’ (who exactly they were trying to kid I don’t know. The resident Alpacas perhaps?).
That said, it turns out that the Monks were considerably more adept in the religious department than that of viticulture, because it wasn’t until the 1800’s that plantings of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere really got things under way for the South Americans. Since then they haven’t looked back, and today their wine industry is booming – primarily with the bulk sale of inexpensive wines, but also with some of the most respected wines in the world; Chile’s Almavia coming in at about £743 per case.
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