Columbus and Indigenous Peoples' Day: Celebration of New World Wine
October brings a wave of holidays around North and South America and Southern Europe, observing the arrival of Columbus in the “New World” and the resilience and experience of indigenous peoples already living in these territories. Celebrated variously as Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day across the United States, this bygone European contact with faraway lands marked a crossroads: A spot where indigenous farming and Old World winemaking met and bloomed over the centuries into the outstanding New World wine we enjoy today.
As America celebrates this historical holiday, Westgarth Wines highlights how ancient techniques helped shape modern viticulture in lasting ways, showcasing some superb wines along the way.
How does Mendoza make Malbec?
Enjoyed a glass of fine Mendoza Malbec lately? It’s thanks to age-old irrigation techniques that any grapes grow in this famously arid region at all!
Mendoza is in the Cuyo region of Western Argentina, which, by all rights, should be a desert. This esteemed wine region lies in the rain shadow of the Andes Mountains, meaning it has a tiny amount of annual rainfall. However, when the Spanish conquistadores arrived, they found a lush, green land of bounty.
This was due to the ingenuity of a tribe called the Huarpes, who had inhabited the area for eons. They engineered an elaborate flood irrigation system that worked as follows:
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used Andean meltwater
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comprised a vast and sophisticated network of channels that fed arid soils
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today, an elaborate infrastructure of flood gates distributes this water to vineyards across the region
With its principles still in use today, the Huarpes irrigation system provides vines with the necessary hydration to flourish and produce healthy fruit for fine wine. While some estates are transitioning to drip irrigation, this traditional flood irrigation is still widely used. There’s even a Mendoza winery named after the pioneering Huarpes in honor of their timeless contribution to the international success of the region’s Malbec.
Speaking of which, to celebrate winemaking vision passed down through the ages, we recommend Catena Zapata, Adrianna Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec. Fermented in foudres and concrete and matured in French oak for 15 to 18 months, this red showcases tight black fruit, fresh acidity, and a tannic backbone ideal for years of cellaring. Salud!
Making vineyards out of mountains
Is Chilean wine on the wine menu for your next get-together? It’s a wonder that this South American country can produce wine at all when you consider how narrow and mountainous it is. From the Pacific to the foothills, Chile has an average width of 110 miles. To make the most of the available land, it was natural to look to the mountains and figure out how to maximize the steep slopes for agriculture. Enter the terraced plot.
The Inca Empire extended to what is modern-day Chile, and with their expansion came advanced terracing techniques known as “andenes”. This innovation allowed for:
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minimal soil erosion
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stable plots with deep soils and retaining walls
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an efficient system of water management
The Inca andenes also promoted microclimates with different plot elevations exposed to varying sunshine and wind, an environment that supported a wide variety of crops.
When the Spanish arrived and introduced viticulture, they were influenced by this Inca technique, laying out their vines on similarly terraced plots, an approach that has endured to this day in the Chilean terraced vineyard.
Let’s celebrate Chilean vinicultural legacy with a wine from such slopes in Alto Maipo. This Errazuriz, Vinedo Chadwick features dense, dark fruit, gentle spice, bright acidity, and a tight yet smooth texture. Cheers!
Ever heard of Kaitiakitanga?
New Zealand is at the forefront of New World winemaking, as anyone who’s a fan of its distinct, world-class Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir knows. Benefiting from an ideal climate for winemaking, New Zealand winemakers have always been early adopters of chemical-free viticulture, precise irrigation, and efficient canopy management. In a sense, this philosophy is in the very soil of the country: When the British formally arrived in the mid-19th century, they remarked on the sustainable indigenous Māori methods of growing crops, which saw farming integration into the wider ecosystem and adaptation to each site. The name of this approach? Kaitiakitanga.
Today, organic, biodynamic, and sustainable viticulture continues to expand across New Zealand hand-in-hand with the fascinating Māori Kaitiakitanga principle. The former two viticultural philosophies focus on chemical-free and cosmically-aligned winemaking; Kaitiakitanga supports:
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guardianship as opposed to ownership of natural resources
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a balanced relationship between people and the land
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protection of the environment for future generations
Translated into modern-day practices, Kaitiakitanga further means helping local communities and businesses to thrive in a socially-oriented winemaking ecosystem. A Māori Winemakers Collective and several key estates are leading the way.
If all this talk of New Zealand wine has made you thirsty for a glass, we suggest this Pinot Noir from Bell Hill, which bursts with dark fruit, delicate spice, and orange peel in a full, creamy mouth with flinty, chalky hints. Kia ora!
From the ingenious water systems of the Huarpes, Inca-inspired terraces, and the Māori-guided vineyards, to advanced European winemaking practices, New World wine is a testament to a rich and layered legacy. Cheers!
Featured photo: Bell Hill Vineyard
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