Learn to love the American wines of the South

It used to be OK to say “American wine” and mean wine grown in the U.S., but that is no longer the case.

With warming temperatures, Canadian wineries have expanded their portfolios, such as Eiswein specialist Inniskilinn’s complex and minerally Clos de Jordanne Chardonnay, premiering in autumn 2024. It is even more difficult to overlook South American wines, especially those of Chile and Argentina, known for quality, value and regional expression a full century before California’s wine boom of the 1960s.

First, Indigenous peoples carved channels in mountain slopes to direct Andean ice melt into their fields. The mid-1500s brought Spanish conquistadors, then Jesuit missionaries spreading the Word and the vine — specifically the Criolla or “Mission” grape. In the 1800s, Chile and Argentina commissioned test gardens, collecting botanical samples from around the world. Chile’s Quinta Normal Agricultura imported and cultivated 70 varieties of Vitis vinifera, the European vine, swelling to 40,000 vines by 1850. As the vineyard blight phylloxera ravaged Europe, the world turned to Chile as their new wine supplier. In 1889, a Chilean wine received the prestigious Grand Prix at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, France.

Come fly with me

In the 1970s the advent of air travel created “flying winemakers,” who alternated between North and South American vineyards, sharing techniques throughout the hemisphere. Napa Valley’s Andre Tchelistcheff, the “Dean of American Wine,” called Chile the last great, affordable Cabernet Sauvignon region on earth. In the 1980s, Nicolas Catena visited Napa Valley and brought wine growing and business savvy to his native Argentina, designating the (then) unknown Malbec variety as his flagship. In 1994, new DNA testing determined that the merlot planted through Chile was the long-lost Bordeaux grape, Carmenere.

But even as South America’s wines attracted acclaim, socio-economic upheaval and iffy shipping procedures fostered inconsistency in international investment and export. They still do, judging by current off-and-on availability. Here are some favorites to look for, with local distributors added to help in the search:

Ask your wine merchant

Cabernet sauvignon, Organic Grapes, Domaine Bousquet, Mendoza, Argentina 2022 (Distributor, Burke Beverage; SRP $13): For 25 years, this stalwart defender of Earth-first viticulture has farmed organically, now accounting for 35% of Argentina’s organic wine exports. For details on climate care, regenerative practices, water conservation and more, see their 2023 Impact Report at: DB-REPORTE-FINAL.pdf (domainebousquet.com). While this palate had noticed a previous reduction in quality, I report that Bousquet is back. A great example is this quaffable quality/value, inky purple with a lush mouthful of berry and bittersweet chocolate flavor and finish. Serve it delicately chilled as a rich cocktail or with a juicy burger, rare, please.

Malbec “Vista Flores,” Catena, Mendoza, Argentina 2021 (Distributor, Winebow; SRP $15): With extra-ripe red and black fruit flavors, sweet spice accents and a chewy texture, this wine is both rich and refreshing. With on-premise distribution only, it’s a perfect wine-by-the-glass at Chicago-area restaurants, including Shaw’s Crab House and Restoration Hardware. The wine is exported in bottles of 45% lighter glass, reducing average CO2 emissions by 21%.

Carmenere, Primus, D.O. Apalta, Chile 2020 (Distributor, Southern Glazer’s; SRP $21): The wine is like a young athlete, powerful and muscley, but with sweet baby fat. Plush on the palate with flavors of baked blackberries accented with pepper and rosemary and a pleasing smack of tannin. Once considered extinct, Carmenere was discovered in Chilean vineyards in 1994 and since has been a heated subject of stylistic debate. Primus represents a modern style, lighter in alcohol, tannin and vegetal flavors, but delicious with herbal condiments (parsley-based chimichurri; coriander and pepper-based pebre; salsa verde) on your own churrasco of grilled meats, poultry and veggies.

And now for something completely different

Basque settlers carried the Tannat grape to South America in the 1800s, and it is now Uruguay’s national grape. Dubbed “the Heart of Darkness” by one California winemaker, the wines are known for robust tannins fit only for the richest meals such as Cassoulet. Pablo Fallabrino gives us an American taste of this Old World grape in this sweet, fortified wine.

Tannat “Alcyone Dessert Wine,” Pablo Fallabrino, NV, Uruguay, (Distributor, Cream; $48 per 500ml at The Chopping Block): Dripping with creamy caramel and chocolate flavors. Grapes are soaked in a family recipe of herbs and dried fruits, fortified with brandy, then rested for 12 months in French oak. Serve with desserts, as a dessert in itself, and for the sweetest occasions.

• Mary Ross is an Advanced Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), a Certified Wine Educator (Society of Wine Educators) and a recipient of the Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award of Excellence.” Write to her at food@dailyherald.com.