Grape growing boundaries

Traditionally wine grapes are grown between 30°-50° latitude in both the northern and southern hemisphere, any area outside of this latitude range poses problems for several reasons such as lack of sunlight hours, to little warmth or too much heat, vine vigor and excess water or scarcity.

Globally things are changing, growers and winemakers are pushing boundaries and planting vines with new locations emerging such as Norway, Sweden, Bolivia, Japan, Canada, British Columbia, Brazil and Patagonia in southern Argentina.

Changing climatic conditions, targeted grape and clonal selections, advances in technology and viticultural knowledge as well as curiosity are reasons we will continue to see wines from new and emerging regions.

Close to the Andes mountains in southern Argentina is Patagonia an austere desert characterised by warm days and cold nights it sits at a lower altitude that other Argentinian regions. Considered by many to be a sought-after location Argentinian wineries have developed luxury projects in the area and have planted premium varieties such as Malbec, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Careful varietal selection is key to cope with the harsh climate but the grapes are producing crisp, expressive fruit driven wines with remarkable colour and aromatics. This is a special place with a range of soils suited to grape growing and a must-see destination for wine lovers who travel.

Overlooking the North Sea in Norway Riesling vines are now producing wines although studies predicted this would not be possible for decades, other vines planted are Pinot noir, Solaris (a white grape grown in Germany) and the hybrid Rondo which is more often sparkling than a still wine. Some of the challenges faced by growers include spring frosts, heavy rain, excess vine vigor and achieving ripeness levels.Southeast Norway near Oslo and Vestlandet along the Fjords of the West Coast are emerging as the regions to watch, the Fjords reflect sunlight and the mountains accumulate heat while providing drainage. Although the EU designation of origin has not been granted yet it is only a matter of time, the 2018 vintage Rieslings are pure with pronounced acidity and a lot of energy.

Although Bolivia has a long viticultural history dating back to the 16th Century its recent history has not been as prosperous however this may be changing. With less available grape growing land growers are focusing on high altitude viticulture and two regions are gaining attention, Valle de Cinti 150 miles west of Tarija and the region of Tarija.

Valle de Cinti is a remote location with a 3 hour drive up mountain roads, but they are producing high-level, unfiltered focused natural wines.Tarija with vineyards 6200 metres above sea level is producing wines made from Tannat, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Merlot although elevation provides protection from warming temperatures it does provide some challenges such as saline soils,erratic weather, and intense storms.

These regions need to thrive to enable sustainable economic growth for Bolivian producers.