Comparing Coastal and High Altitude Climates.

Have you ever been walking along the shore when the ocean is cold and the winds whips around you and a light fog sits above you? That invigorating environment actually does wonders for grape growing.

Now on the other extreme, have you ever sat on top of a mountain you just climbed, chilly from the wind and thin air, but warmed by more intense sunlight? Extrapolate that out to 6,500 ft in desert conditions relatively close to the equator, and you have Uco Valley, Argentina!

Many factors go into the terroir of a region, but for the Casablanca and Uco valleys, each has an obvious key contributor: the calm, yet powerful Pacific Ocean for Casablanca, the sky-scratching altitude of the Andes for Uco. What influence does each have on grapes grown there? A ton!

For Casablanca, we must remember that the Pacific is still very cold that far south (the valley is directly west of Santiago, so only a shade closer to the equator than San Francisco sits in the Northern Hemisphere). This helps regulate the temperature of the valley, keeping it cool. It also creates breezes, which help keep the vines dry despite mist. The breezes in turn lead to fog coverage. All of these factors combine to make this region ideal for Pinot Noir and cool climate style Sauvignon Blanc, à la Sancerre. And as we learned with our Wine Club selection “costa a la cordillera,” Riesling thrives in this environment, as well!

Up in the Andes, the super high altitude also regulates the temperature. More accurately, the altitude allows it to soar from over 100 degrees fahrenheit, then plummet into the 60s, or lower! Upon visiting Uco Valley, and Mendoza generally, the first thing many people notice is that the sunlight just looks and feels different. The atmosphere has a different color. This translates to thicker skinned grapes, which means more pronounced fruit and better, softer tannin structure.

Wines made in both of these regions share an important attribute: excellent acidity. In the case of Casablanca, this comes from cool climate and fog protection, a perfect recipe for grapes with thin skins. The ocean keeps the grapes from over ripening and trading acid for sugar content. In Uco, the massive temperature swings essentially shut the grapes down at night, while the extra sunlight ripens the skins during the day. This is why Malbec, in particular, thrives there. At low altitude, it requires too much consistent temperature to ripen, losing its acid and never developing soft tannins. Old World Malbec often requires years of bottle ageing to reach the softness that Argentine ones come blessed with year one.

The result in both cases are fresh, drinkable wines with finesse. We absolutely love these two regions!