Literatura

Comentarios de la Prensa Británica al libro "Chilean Wine, The Heritage"

Chilean Wine – The Heritage
By Rodrigo Alvarado
Published by The Wine Appreciation Guild
Distributed by Vine House Distribution
www.vinehouseuk.co.uk

Price: £14.95

This fascinating and detailed book is a positive assertion that a 'new book' on the subject of wine can be written, thanks, on this occasion, to the author's interest in wine history. That isn't to say that the book will have universal appeal – it may be too in-depth for many. It is, rather, a serious book for serious wine lovers.

The first 69 pages cover the history of wine from its origins around 6,000 BC until the Franciscans planted their Pais vines in Chile in 1548. Alvarado writes with some authority, notably when he identifies Fray Francisco de Carabantes as having first brought vines to Chile in that year, thus disputing previous claims that the distinction went to Fray Cídron (Cedron). Rodrigo Alvarado's reputation as a Chilean historian adds weight to his argument and his credibility is further enhanced by the fact that he lives and works in the country and speaks Spanish.

The early history of wine is scant and more than one writer has had to correct published work at a later date. The author quickly informs his readers that the origin of vitis vinifera sativa (the true noble species of vine) has long since been placed in Asia Minor, specifically in the area of Mount Ararat, east of Turkey, climbing into the Caucasus Mountains. Strangely he fails to make the observation that in The Bible, in the Book of Genesis Chapter 9, Verse 20 it is written Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard and Noah had just descended from the Ark on Mount Ararat. Too great a coincidence for Rodrigo Alvarado to have overlooked.

He teaches us that Mesopotamia was the world's first wine region and that Cuneiform texts from the city of Kish dating back to at least 2,500 BC inform us not only of the presence of vineyards in the region at that time, but of the wine trade that developed between the merchants of Lagash, close to the mouth of the Tigris, and the authorities of other Mesopotamian areas. He further explains that wine production was encouraged by the ruling classes who considered wine to be a symbol of fertility and reserved for a small elite group. Beer, on the other hand, was more abundant than wine and the alcoholic drink of the masses.

The section entitled Modern Times (1492-1789), pages 69 – 114, begins and ends with two significant dates, namely the first voyage of Columbus and the French Revolution. The author tells us that Columbus introduced the vine to the new territories for God and the King during his second trip to the Americas in 1493. He then adds the Spanish caravels entrusted Vitis Vinifera with the double objective of propagating the Catholic faith and reducing the high costs of importing wines for consumption by the Spanish Conquistadors. Sadly the efforts of Columbus to cultivate the New World vineyards fell victims to rot and vine diseases. Happily the importation of vines by the Conquistadors was much more successful.

Pages 115 – 147 provide a section described as The Contemporary Era in the New World (1789-1950). It plots the development of the Chilean wine industry in the second half of the 19th century with the emergence of such prominent labels as Concha y Toro , Cousino Macul, Errázuriz, Santa Rita and Undurraga. Many of these names had made their fortunes in ugly phosphate or other mining ventures, then used their wealth to transform land into beautiful wineries and vineyards.

Finally, we reach pages 149 – 172 and Chilean Viticulture (1950-2004). Alvarado begins this section with an account of how the early post war years brought many technical improvements, but then comes the sub-heading Stagnation Period 1950-1980, which tempts the reader to jump 5 pages to The Chilean Wine Boom 1980-2004. The author quickly attributes the conversion of Chilean wines to foreign influences. He singles out Miguel Torres of the famous Catalonian family as particularly praiseworthy and charts his activity in the 1970's. He acquired a small piece of land in Curicó and set about to do what Chilean winemakers had only dreamed of; he made modern wines that could compete at the international level thanks to the introduction of technology and state-of-the art facilities. This influence attracted Chilean investors such as Ricardo Claro who bought Santa Rita and the Cruzat Larrain Group who took over Santa Carolina and San Pedro.

At this juncture his message becomes a little diluted, for there is little mention of many attractive commercial Chilean wines that are regularly consumed by the public. Take Chileno as an example with its delightful Merlot Rosé, Misiones, which makes a superb Sauvignon Blanc, and the Los Robles Co-operative with its soft, peppery Fair Trade Carmenère – a dozen other spring to mind.

The book is charmingly illustrated by Chilean artist Raquel Echenique who adds warmth with her subtle choice of colour. I particularly enjoyed the painting of 3 Egyptians treading grapes in a stone lagar around 2,000 BC, while a taster, standing alongside, examines a sample of rich, red wine. It is not unlike the scenes you still find each autumn at Taylor Fladgate or Croft Port. Page 55 depicts the Last Supper in which Jesus can be seen raising a very large cup of wine. This is theologically correct because He and His Apostles were celebrating the traditional Passover Feast when the wine cup was intended to hold 1½ litres. Her cartoon-like picture of a French winemaker working in Chile, on page 126, demonstrates that she has understood her subject matter most effectively.

A highly readable and enjoyable addition to a wine library.

Review Andrew Jones, August 2005 www.wineontheweb.co.uk/books/books.html

Chilean Wine: The Heritage by Rodrigo Alvarado
Chalk Hill Press; Hardcover 192 pages (March 31, 2005); ISBN 1891267809

This is a slightly unusual book. Despite the title, which suggests this is foremost a book about Chilean wines, it’s actually rather different in emphasis. As the subtitle ‘The Heritage’ indicates, this is first and foremost a historical account of the development of wine through the ages. Only towards the end are we introduced to the wines of Chile, and again this is through the lens of the history of the Chilean wine scene. To the modern drinker in the UK, however, the history of wine in Chile is probably only of passing relevance. I doubt whether many of the current crop of high-end Chilean wines bear much resemblance to those produced even just 30 years ago.

This book, by Chilean wine writer and wine historian Rodrigo Alvarado has been translated into English very well, and the result is a good read. Initially written for the Chilean market, but still of broader (if rather niche) interest; one of the most readable accounts of the history of wine that I’ve yet encountered.

The book is printed on high-quality paper and is in full colour, but there are no photographs: instead it is rather quirkily (but attractively) hand illustrated. It’s not unattractive, and because the same illustrator is used throughout, it gives the book a consistency of design. But if the purpose of the book is educational (which it seems it is), and full colour is going to be used anyway, it’s a shame that photographs haven’t been used. The price is very reasonable, though, and because of this, this is a book that may be worth taking a punt on.

www.wineanorak.com/refb.htm#chilean%20wine

Contáctenos y exprese sus opiniones en: ralvarado@rodrigoalvarado.com