The other day I read a recent article about the potential of Peru to become the next big wine producing region.  Adolf Hurtado, the chief winemaker at the well established Chilean winery Cono Sur, believes that Peru has all the potential to become the next big thing in wine.  He points out that many regions in Peru are very similar to northern Chile, which is very dry and has climatic features such as high elevations and close proximity to the ocean, which are ideal for growing vines.  Historically, Peru is one of the oldest wine growing countries in South America, as vines were planted by the Spaniards in the mid 1500s.  Currently there are over 24,000 acres of vines in Peru, and most are close to the Pacific coast.   Some of the best vineyards are south of Lima, close to the town of Ica.  Unfortunately,  most wine produced in Peru does not have the best reputation.  One of the most well known producers in Peru is Tacama.  Two blends produced there, the Tacama Seleccion Especial (Tannat and Petit Verdot), and Tacama Gran Tinto (Malbec, Tannat, & syrah) are recommended.  There is a lot of good quality wine coming out of South America, especially from Argentina and Chile.  It will be interesting to see if Peru can attract more interest in its wine producing regions, and perhaps become a major player in the wine world.

Also speaking of South America,  Chilean wine producer Vina Undurraga won best white wine from the New World at ExpoVinis, which is a well known international wine fair.  The winning wine is a 2011 Sauvignon Blanc known as T.H. from La Obarca Valley.  The wine is said to be very fresh and aromatic, and most interestingly, is said to have a faint scent of gun powder.  I might have to give this one a try… 

And finally, the other day I sipped on one of my favorite wines from Argentina, a Torrontes produced by Zolo.  This is a very refreshing wine, and has a nice floral nose to it that reminds me of fresh flowers.  It has a very smooth finish with hints of honey, and is great for a hot day. Definitely a must have for the coming months…

2011 Zolo Torrontes

Cheers,

Seth