Itata wines from Chile: A master class and tasting

The Itata region in Chile is still relatively unknown, but that may soon change. Recently, a group of wine experts held a master class and tasting of Itata wines in Chile. The event was organized by Ghislaine Melman of Melman Communications, Beatriz Rietveldt Carrión of Chile Wines and ProChile. Edwin Raben, a top sommelier, wine educator and owner of Edwines, hosted the event. One reason the Itata region is not better known is its location. Itata is more than a six-hour drive from Santiago, the capital of Chile. This makes transportation more expensive and logistically difficult than for areas closer to Santiago. However, the region of Itata has much to offer wine lovers. The region's climate resembles that of Bordeaux, France, and it produces wines with complex flavors. With more publicity, the Itata region could become better known for the quality of its wines.

By the way, you pronounce Itata as the pronunciation of an area is always important so that everyone understands what you are talking about.

Masterclass

During the master class we were introduced to 12 wines from this region. This was a great introduction to this very diverse area for me.

The wines during the master class

We tasted 12 wines in tastings of 3 wines at a time. The advantage of this was that each tasting focused on 1 grape, allowing us to experience the differences by maker, harvest and vinification method.The first session focused on the grape Muscat of Alexandria, the 2nd on Cinsault, the 4th on Pais and we ended with wines in a blend.This overview gave a nice impression of how diverse and rich this area is. All the wines are organic or biodynamic. This is often without certificates because obtaining them takes a lot of time and money and therefore people don't bother.

My favorite wine from the master class
My favorite wine of the tasting was the Mingaco 2021 from Viña Mingaco. This biodynamic orange wine is made in an old-growth forest where the buildings are made of tires, straw and clay. The wine consists of Moscatel de Alejandrie and is skin fermented. It is a Freerun wine and press wine aged outside (1 year) under thin "flor. This is done in a mix of old barriques, amphoras and plastic barrels with the main premise being very little intervention. The wine has a great floral character with aromas of citrus, lime peel, orange and strawberry. On the palate you notice firm thick tannins with strawberry, orange, citrus, medium bitterness and medium (+) acidity. These characteristics are not due to faults in the wine, but rather to the fact that it is superbly made. The floral character of the Muscat of Alexandria was very present in this wine without being overpowering.

About the Itata Valley

The area is so rare that little can be found on the Internet. Therefore, in preparation for the master class, Edwin held a zoom meeting with the winemakers to get caught up on the in's and out's of the area.

The Itata Valley is one of Chile's most important wine regions, located just south of the city of Concepción. The valley is home to some of Chile's oldest vineyards and produces a wide variety of wines, from white to red. The Itata Valley is also home to a number of other industries, including forestry, agriculture and tourism. The Itata Valley is a long, narrow valley that runs from the Andes Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The valley is home to a number of rivers, including the Itata, Biobío and Maule rivers. The valley's climate is hot and dry, with average temperatures of 18 to 24 degrees Celsius.

This is one of Chile's oldest wine-growing regions, with a history of more than 500 years. Itata, which means "abundant grazing" in Mapudungun, the original language of the inhabitants of this wine region, is named after the river of the same name. It is a very small area, with only 10,172 hectares of vineyards, located about 600 km south of Santiago de Chile, between Maule and Bio. Itata has a humid Mediterranean climate, with lower temperatures than in other valleys and large fluctuations in the seasons. The clay and granite soils are rich in minerals. The most commonly planted grape varieties are Paìs and Muscat de Alexandria.

The winemakers preserve the old, forgotten viticultural heritage, but also plant other varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Merlot, Tintórera, Semillón, Chardonnay and Riesling, among others. They keep a constant eye on organic production and high quality. Climate change does require irrigation. Because of its location, there is a lot of cooling during the growing season with lots of rain in fall and winter. There are many old vineyards, dry-farmed, bushvine and ungrafted because phylloxera cannot take root here due to the composition of the soil which often has volcanic influences.

The future
The future looks promising for the Itata Valley wine region as more and more wine lovers discover its wines. The region now has more than 30 wineries and the wines produced here are exciting and innovative. The Itata Valley is quickly becoming one of Chile's premier wine regions and the wines will surprise wine lovers for many years to come.

The many people who work here with the attitude of Itata is to help each other, I help you and you help me.

Tasting
After the master class, we had the opportunity to meet 5 Chilean winemakers who told us all about their wines and let us taste everything. The presence of the winemakers themselves added an extra layer to the experience. For example, I tasted a blend of tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon and a sparkling wine made from chardonnay and pinot noir methode traditionelle.

Pulso wines was my favorite because of the amazing winemaker Ximena Pacheco. She told all about her wines, which are made only from Malbec. The tasting started with the top wine, a combination of the 2 other wines made according to different vinifications. Then we tasted the 2 "children" so we could recognize those of the "mother" wine after which the top wine was tasted again. This gave a nice journey of the differences that only vinification has and how to get the best combination out of it.According to Ximena, her wine is a reflection of the pulse that runs through the earth. It is her personal interpretation as winemaker of this corner of Lolol, defined by the granite and wind. The wine itself is a unique expression of the communion between this generous, unique land and the art of winemaking.

Which companies were present?
The wines from the tasting were provided by:

Moretta Wines
Maurizio Garibaldi Wines
OWM Wines
Pulso Wines
Bauzá Wines