SOUTH AMERICA
An A to Z of South America’s grapes
Of all the developments in South American wine in the past two decades, perhaps the most significant has been the greater attention winemakers across the continent have paid to terroir. But as important as the “where” (the vineyard) has become, the “what” (grape variety) and the “who” (producer) still perhaps offer the best means of navigating Argentinian, Chilean and Uruguayan wine. In terms of volume, the emphasis across the continent may still be on the big familiar names with which each country first made its vinous name. But the range of grape varieties being used to make attractive, drinkable and, in many cases, genuinely fine wines has greatly expanded over the past decade. Here is David Williams’s guide to the most signficant South American grape varieties, an A (Albariño) to T (Torrontés) of uvas variadades and the places, winemakers and wines that best represent them.
THE WINE MERCHANT july 2022 54
