Summer White

We've been hit with a heat wave.

It's been so horribly hot and I no longer hold up well in the heat.  While alcoholic beverages are not the typical prescribed solution, Giuseppe and I have had ice cold glasses of white wine at the beach to cool off.  Our wine this summer has been Manta Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.  Sam, my hero and good friend at Acker Merrall & Condit, recommended it.  Yes, the big auction house Acker Merrall is also an everyday wine shop.  They are great.

What do we know about Chile other than it's a region where a lot of affordable wines can be had nowadays??  A bit about the country:

• Chile is approximately 3000 miles long and 220 miles wide.  It is geographically isolated by mountains, Pacific Ocean and Antarctica.
• Chile has a Mediterranean climate.
• Vines in Chile are grown 32-38 degrees latitude south of the equator (FYI--the majority of all wines in the world are grown between 30-50 degrees latitude north and south of the equator).
• The sauvignon blanc grown here is a less aromatic clone

• There are 4 major wine regions in Chile: 

1. Coquimbo, which includes the Limari Valley.  Mostly cabernet sauvignon is grown here.
2. Aconcagua/Casablanca.  A lot of chardonnay and pinot noir grown here.  
3. Central Valley, this includes the Maipo, Rapel (sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon) and the Maule.  The Manta is from the Maule. 
4. Southern Region which includes the Itata, and Bio Bio.  (Pais, Moscatel grapes used for brandy, distillation and rustic wines.)

Giuseppe and I both felt that it was crisp, had flavors of Fuji apples, lemons, grapefruits, gooseberries, some tropical flavors with a mineral note.  It's quite tasty for the value!  For less than $10 a bottle (I've seen it ranging from $7-10), it's the white wine we're drinking and serving this summer.

A toast to Sam for the great recommendation! 

Links:
www.ackerwines.com