Tag:

orange wine

Santiago Deicas winemaker of Familia Deicas in Uruguay, interview on South America Wine Guide

Innovation & new Uruguayan wine regions: Terroir Talk interview with Santiago Deicas

by Amanda Barnes February 12, 2021

Santiago Deicas is a winemaker who is happy to take risks. Whether that is by planting vines and making wines in the highest hillside vineyard in Uruguay, fighting off wild boars from eating grapes, or literally turning the earth upside down in search of new terroir, he is fast becoming one of the most exciting winemakers to watch in South America. In this Terroir Talk interview, Amanda Barnes interviews Santiago on pioneering new wine regions in Uruguay and some of the latest and most innovative trends happening in Uruguay today and within the portfolio at Familia Deicas wines.

In a whirlwind tour of Uruguay’s wine regions, Santiago and Amanda discuss moving beyond the traditional wine regions of Canelones and going to San José nearby to pioneer a wine region in the incredible schist soils of Sierra de Mahoma. They taste the Familia Deicas Mar de Piedras Tannat from this unique vineyard and Santiago explains why this site makes a really distinctive style of Tannat, much less tannic than other wine regions in Uruguay.

From there, they move to the micro wine regions of Lavalleja just above Maldonado where Familia Deicas has a two-hectare vineyard planted on volcanic soils and where Santiago makes an interesting co-fermentation of Merlot, Tannat, Petit Verdot and Viognier in the Extreme Vineyards Cerro del Guazuvirá range.

And last but not least in this terroir talk, Santiago explains his experimentations in natural wines and orange wines back in the heartland of Uruguayan wine, in Canelones, where he is making his Bizarra line of wines. This interview gives you a great insight into what is happening in Uruguayan wine today from one of the country’s leading winemakers of the new generation.

Taste the wines along with Santiago and Amanda with this special tasting pack online from VinosLatinos!

South America Wine Guide Terroir Talk interview with winemaker Santiago Deicas

Familia Deicas wine tasting notes

Familia Deicas Mar de Piedras Tannat

Tannat 100%
Wine Region: Sierra de Mahoma, San José
Vintage: 2015
Alcohol: 13.5%
Winemaking: Pre-fermentation maceration at low temperatures (3 – 5C) for 4 days. Alcoholic fermentation at 26 – 28 C. 6 months in 1st and 2nd use French barrels.
Winemaker: Santiago Deicas

This is one of my favourite Tannat wines in Uruguay because it is so distinctive! I like to describe it as pure blood and stone! It has this attractive nose of graphite and bloody notes of iron making it an ultimately savoury wine but there are also layers of dark plum and forest fruit with some wild mountain herb aromas. Linear and chiselled in the palate, it is a long and complex wine although it invites you to take another sip immediately. Modern, precise and exciting Tannat!

Familia Deicas Extreme Vineyards Cerro del Guazuvirá

Merlot 50%, Tannat 40%, Petit Verdot 8%, Viognier 2%
Wine Region: Lavalleja
Vintage: 2018
Alcohol: 13.5%
Winemaking: Co-fermentation of all four varieties made with minimal intervention in open bins and aged in amphora and used barrels.
Winemaker: Santiago Deicas

This wine was truly a labour of love to make. Between having to replant a vineyard and add special protectors to each vine to save it from small deers to having to erect an electric fence all around the vineyard to protect it from wild boars, to hand harvesting and carrying the grapes downhill each time to reach a flatter level where vehicles have access, there is nothing easy about making wine in this remote and wild location! The results do however prove that all the effort is worth it… this is an absolutely gorgeous wine made from co-fermenting Merlot, Tannat, Petit Verdot and Viognier. It is oh-so fragrant with notes of flowers and bright, juicy red fruit and a mouthwatering finish. It is an energetic and lively wine.

Bizarra Extravanganza Orange Wine

Gros Manseng 50%, Petit Manseng 50%
Wine Region: Canelones
Vintage: 2019
Alcohol: 12.5%
Winemaking: Skin contact for several weeks followed by ageing on the lees in neutral vessels. Low sulphites, minimal intervention, unfiltered and unfined.
Winemaker: Santiago Deicas

This is a natural wine made in a truly artisanal way with grapes trodden by foot, co-fermented with skin contact and kept on the lees throughout its life (even after bottling!) On the nose it is all honey and apple pie, while in the palate it is fresh and lively with structure and length. A wine for juicy chorizos straight from the BBQ!

Read more about Familia Deicas on our online winery guide

Read more about Uruguayan wine online

February 12, 2021 0 comment

Uco Valley Mendoza, where a hive of innovative winemakers are changing wine trends in Argentina. South America Wine Guide

Argentina Wine Guide Mendoza Videos Argentina Features Argentina Wine

Innovative wine trends to look out for in Argentina

by Amanda Barnes April 8, 2019

written by Amanda Barnes

While Malbec may be king in Argentina, that doesn’t stop the hundreds of winemakers in the region from developing new styles of wine to delight wine lovers around the world. In fact, the area is humming with innovation and cool new ideas. Here are just some innovative wine trends in Mendoza to watch out for:

The rebirth of orange wines in Argentina

Argentina is undergoing a white wine revolution and one way in which winemakers are looking to create food-worthy white wines is by making them with extended skin contact (aka. orange wines). There are varying degrees of orange wines being produced today, ranging from a few days of skin contact through to several months.

Varieties that are particularly well-suited to making orange wines include the Criolla varieties and especially Torrontés. Complex, aromatic and structured, Mendoza’s orange wines are ideal for the hearty Argentine cuisine.

The first orange wine producer in Mendoza was Matias Michelini in 2011, who now makes several different orange wines under his Passionate Wine label. Today other winemakers and brands known for their orange wine include Santiago Salgado (Finca Las Payas), German Masera (Escala Humana), Pielihueso, Finca Beth and Almanegra.

Carbonic maceration Malbec (and Bonarda)

Making a juicier style of Malbec has become one of the key trends in Argentina’s wine scene over the last few years. One way to achieve that fruitier and fresher character is with carbonic maceration (as used in Beaujolais), and Mendoza’s winemakers have adopted the practice with great enthusiasm for different wines, particularly those for enjoying young.

With bright berry and floral aromas, lighter tannins and a fresher finish, Malbec made in this style is completely gluggable! Another red variety which is increasingly being made now with carbonic maceration is Bonarda — the second most planted red variety in Argentina.

Winemakers with carbonic-maceration Malbecs worth trying include Marcelo Pelleriti, Alejandro Vigil, Matias Riccitelli, Sebastian Zuccardi and Matias Michelini.

Paying attention to exotic varieties old and new

Argentina’s winemakers are not only exploring new territories in terms of vineyard plantations but also planting new varieties. Today you’ll find exciting wines being made with Marsanne and Roussanne (Ver Sacrum, Matervini), Fiano (Caelum, Alma Gemela) and Verdelho (Zuccardi) to mention a few.

These experiments with exotic varieties haven’t just started though, Argentina’s winemakers are also rediscovering old varieties that have been planted here for decades and had fallen under the radar until now. Interesting old vines to look into include Bequignol (Escala Humana), Trousseau/Bastardo (Marcelo Miras) and Cordisco (Durigutti).

Unveiling the potential of flor

Ageing wine under a veil of flor is commonplace in Jerez in Spain and Jura in France, but it is found in very few other places. In Argentina, however, there is a new wave of white wines aged under flor that are coming to the fore.

The first winemaker to release a flor-aged wine was David Bonomi who by day is the Head Winemaker of Norton, but by night he makes his own label of boutique wines PerSe with agronomist Edy del Popolo. Their dry and complex Chardonnay, aged for seven years under a veil of flor, was only a limited edition but it created a ripple in Mendoza’s wine scene and now many more producers are experimenting with flor.

Notable winemakers who produce white wines under flor today include Juan Pablo Michelini and Alejandro Vigil.

April 8, 2019 0 comment

Chile Riesling Wild Casablanca Wines

En Re Do, Bodegas RE

by Amanda Barnes December 31, 2015

written by Amanda Barnes

More on this wine

Made as a red wine with white grapes, this is an orange wine. The skins are left in the process which gives the wine the copper colour and the wicked tannins. The wine is vinified in clay tinajas, which also helps build the structure of the wine.

More on the producer

Bodegas RE is the passion project of legendary Chilean winemaker Pablo Morande, who pioneered the Casablanca valley as Chile’s first cool climate region, and his son, Pablo Morande Jnr, who is pioneering different winemaking methods and techniques in Chile. Throwing out the rule books, don’t expect the expected with RE – and get ready to enjoy the ride of flavours, textures and aroma.

December 31, 2015 0 comment