Al Este
From EncycloWine
Al Este Bodega y Vinedos is a winery in Médanos, Buenos Aires, Argentina, located 600km south of the city of Buenos Aires on the southern tip of the province.
Contents |
History
In the early 1900s several European immigrants arrived to Médanos and brought the wine making tradition with them. Although at some point a multitude of small growers planted a combined surface of approximately 200 hectares of vineyards, they were unable to successfully complete the wine making process given lack of scale, inadequate technology and the country’s ups and downs which lead to their disappearance [2].
The Médanos terroir, that had traditionally been dedicated to garlic and pastures, has striking similarities to Bordeaux, France in terms of its soil, weather conditions and proximity to the sea. More recently, the idea of starting a wine project in Médanos got reignited as a result of a trip to France which provided renewed confidence in the terroir’s potential [1].
In 2000, an hectare and a half was planted on an experimental basis with nine grape varietals. In a second stage, after analyzing the obtained quality standards for each grape variety at the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), 25 additional hectares were planted mainly with six varietals.[3].
Grape varieties
Al Este produces several varietals.
Red: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tannat
White: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Vineyards and winery
The vineyards are located at 39 degrees latitude south, where the Patagonia and Pampa converge. The soil in Médanos has high sand content, which doesn’t retain as much humidity, and as a consequence this terroir absorbs and liberates heat faster creating a large temperature range which favors the development and growth of grapes.[2]
Topography: Flatland with meadows (medanos)
Soil type: Sandy
Irrigation system: Dripping
Frost protection: Water spraying by aspersion
Harvesting and grape selection: Manual
The winery produces red and white wines, which are aged in French and American oak and in bottles in its underground cellars. It is the first company to grow, produce and sell premium wines in the Buenos Aires Province. The project has been developed under the direction of the Italian wine maker Alberto Antonini [3].
The wines are sold under the Al Este and Terrasabbia labels.
Internal links
References
1 Vinedos en los Medanos, written by Oscar Baltian, LA NACION 9/30/2006
2 Pusimos en marcha la vinicultura en Buenos Aires, written by Mauricio Runno on 08/04/08
3 Buenos Aires is also interested in wine, written by Ma. Soledad Gonzalez on 8/19/08
