Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
EDITORIAL<br />
FRANÇOIS GILBERT - EDITORIAL DIRECTOR<br />
SOUTH AMERICA AND ITS SPARKLING<br />
ITERATIONS<br />
The South American wine industry is primarily represented<br />
worldwide by Argentina and Chile, which<br />
account for 80% of production. Uruguay and Brazil are<br />
also important contributors, even though Brazil exports<br />
very few of its wines. The iconic bottlings produced by<br />
three of these countries, which have long carved out a<br />
place for themselves in the global marketplace, are very<br />
much front of mind. Chilean Carmenere, Argentinean<br />
Malbec and Uruguayan Tannat have found favour with<br />
lovers of tannins and aromatic length. Alongside these,<br />
however, is a more boutique range of wines that rarely<br />
make their way into the spotlight – sparkling wines.<br />
One of the most dynamic segments in the wine trade,<br />
global sparkling wine production has marginally<br />
increased over the past few years. It averages at around<br />
18 million hectolitres in volume, equating to just over<br />
2.5 billion bottles. In actual fact, the increase in sparkling<br />
wine production mirrors the overall trend for global wine<br />
production. Its share accounts for around 7% of world<br />
wine production and has remained unchanged for the<br />
past few years.<br />
It may just be that South American sparkling wines are<br />
one of the next big things to come out of the region,<br />
which is why we went to take a closer look, in Argentina<br />
of course, but also in Uruguay and more surprisingly, in<br />
Ecuador. As you will see from our report (page 114), some<br />
South American sparkling wines certainly compare very<br />
favourably with their counterparts around the globe.<br />
4 SPRING 2024 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
Change language