Our Top 10 South American Wineries

In keeping with our stories on the top wines available in Hong Kong from the southern hemisphere as we near their harvest, we give you the low-down on the Top 10 wineries from South America that make great, affordable and accessible wines for the Hong Kong market. With such a wealth of wines in the territory it was rather difficult and, much like in our Australasian list, there will be wines we haven’t included that are still very good. So, take a look at the best we have from Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

Errazuriz (Chile)

I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Vina Errazuriz owner Eduardo Chadwick at Vinexpo Asia Pacific 2012 and had the good fortune to taste most of his wines available in Hong Kong. I also had the extreme pleasure of tasting a vertical of Vina Sena from 1995 to 2010 with the man himself. This winery makes arguably the best Chilean wine on the market, Sena, but also has fantastic, well made and fantastically structured wines such as their Chadwick range and the Errazuriz Don Maximo range. Vina Errazuriz wines can be found in Hong Kong through Edrington Hong Kong (www.edrington.com.hk)

Trapiche (Argentina)

Although not a brand for wine snobs, Trapiche make some great, simple wines for everyday drinking, something all wine lovers can appreciate. I have served these wines at extortionate prices as wines by the glass in many of the restaurants I have worked in and they have never been sniffed at by any customer. I like the approachable nature of their Sauvignon Blanc which is very easy drinking, as is the oak cask Chardonnay. For the reds, it has to be their Malbec that stands out (as one would expect) but the Pinot Noir is pretty good as is the oak cask Merlot. Lot’s to choose from this winery and all very agreeable wines. Hong Konger’s can get Trapiche on line from Wine Shop Asia (www.wineshopasia.com)

 

 

Miolo (Brazil)

I first had the pleasure of tasting wines from Brazilian winery Miolo back in 2008 when I tried a barrel sample of their Chardonnay and I was instantly hooked. It was the first time I had ever tried Brazilian wine and it left a fantastic first impression. Since then, I have always tried to taste as many smaller production wines from other South American wineries (such as Uruguay, Peru) but nothing has come close to that first taste of the Chardonnay. Fortunately, since then, Miolo now has an importer here so we can drink as much as we like! As far as the wines go, I am still loving the Chardonnay, but the Lote 43 is a pretty darn good wine and, having tried their Brut Millesime recently, found that they make a pretty good sparkling at a very reasonable price too! Miolo wines can be found in Hong Kong from Amorosso Fine Wines (www.amorossowines.com)

Terrazas (Argentina)

I am not a fan of generic, mass produced, mass market boring wines such as on the Moet Hennessy portfolio (LVMH) here, but I have to admit that I am a huge fan of the Terrazas Reserve Torrontes, a white wine that fulfils all my palate’s wants and needs with lovely fruit flavours, a little bit of sweetness and, overall, just a lovely wine to drink during the summer. I can highly recommend anyone to drink this wine on a lovely hot summer’s day and, for those who think Verve and Moet are good Champagne’s, you can order a bottle or two of the Torrontes while you get your Champagne fix! Terrazas wines are available from MHD in Hong Kong (www.mhdhk.com)

Concha Y Toro (Chile)

Never been much of a fan of the regular, shop-shelf CYT wines but I have had the pleasure of tasting a lot of the Don Melchor range and find that these wines are really very good. These wines really have been crafted and it must be said that they, like many others that are the top of the range from the winery, are outstandingly good. Don Melchor is certainly one of Chile’s best Cabernet Sauvignon’s and comes from the Puente Alto region. These are the kind of wines that should be cellared and enjoyed at their optimum, which takes love, care and patience. If you get the chance to buy some of this wine, do not hesitate, just lie it down for a couple of years if it is a younger vintage. CYT wines are available in Hong Kong from Summergate Fine Wines (info@summergate.com)

Almaviva (Chile)

Almaviva is the result of a partnership between Concha Y Toro and Baroness Philippine de Rothschild that saw the first vintage created in 1988 making a Bordeaux-style wine in Chile.  Almaviva is one of the benchmark wines for quality winemaking in the country and the limited production and ‘big names’ behind it account for its rather hefty price tag. A nice Bordeaux blend it is, but certainly around the same price as a decent drop of Bordeaux and sometimes struggles a bit to compete. But, Almaviva is definitely worth a try at least once and is available to buy on line in Hong Kong from Slurp Asia (www.slurp.asia)

Cousino Macul (Chile)

Wine Times had the pleasure of dining with and interviewing Mr. Carlos Cousino, one of the brothers in charge of the Cousino Macul winery in Santiago, Chile. His wines have always been a staple in most restaurants I have worked in because the wines are extremely approachable, affordable, and easy to drink and go well with or without food. We recently had a Reserve Cabernet from Cousino Macul with a BBQ of roast beef, duck and pork and the wine was exceptionally agreeable as a pairing to all. The winery makes a range of wines from the inexpensive to the very high end but we think that the best value for money comes with their Special and Varietal ranges with wines such as their Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Rosé standing out as good value for money. Cousino Macul wines are available in Hong Kong from Jebsen Fine Wines (marcovazquez@jebsen.com)

Casa Valduga (Brazil)

Casa Valduga wines are the only other Brazilian wines available in Hong Kong and I have not added them to this list just as a token second Brazilian wine. The winery is included here because it makes one of my favourite summer sparkling wines – Casa Valduga Sparkling Moscatel. This little beauty is a perfect summer drink, one that I also used as the welcome drink on the boat for my wedding. It’s slightly off dry, has a very feminine touch to it and is low in alcohol meaning you can easily quaff a few bottles sitting on the beach or cruising on a boat. This is one very affordable and extremely delightful wine. Casa Valduga wines can be bought in Hong Kong from Tipsy Foodie Limited (www.tipsyfoodie.com)

 

Los Vascos (Chile)

Los Vascos recently featured in a story we wrote about ‘affordable Lafite’ as this Chilean wine is made by Domaine Baron de Rothschild. It is a very popular wine in Hong Kong and China because of the association with Lafite and its in-expensive price tag. Their Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are the most popular on the Hong Kong market and the wines can be found from Red Wine Cellar Limited (www.redwinehk.com) and also from Banny Wine Cellars (www.bannywines.com)

Luigi Bosca (Argentina)

The Luigi Bosca winery is a big one but makes everyday drinking wines that should, in my view, suit most people’s tastes. The interesting thing about this winery is that they make a whole range of wines from sparkling, rosé, white and red – with some sweet wines too – from a whole host of varietals. Personally, I think their Pinot Noir is very good; as is their Malbec, something Argentina is well known for. The wines are great party wines and are not at all expensive and they are the kind of wines that suit a drink at home after a long day at work. The Luigi Bosca range and the Finca La Linda range (also made at the Luigi Bosca winery) are available in Hong Kong from ICL Limited and can be contacted on info@iclwine.com