South American trendsetters: five names to know
Behind the producers and wines to know...
Patricio Tapia graduated with a degree in journalism from the Universidad de Chile in Santiago, before attending Bordeaux University in France, where he studied for a diploma in wine tasting and winemaking. He was the Regional Chair for Argentina at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 and he stepped in as joint-Regional Chair for Spain during the DWWA 2018. He is the wine critic for Argentina, Chile and Spain in Wine & Spirits magazine, and has been a host on the El Gourmet TV channel in South America. He has written several books, including The Wines of Colchagua Valley, TodoVino, Wines for Great Occasions, and his annual Descorchados, a guide to the wines of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
Behind the producers and wines to know...
In partnership with Wines of Chile. Chile is not defined by one grape in particular
In partnership with Uruguay Wine
Chilean winemakers have created a fresher, fruitier style of Carmenère...
There’s a plethora of fascinating white styles emerging...
Plus ten top wines to try...
Wines from the sub-regions of Gualtallary and Altamira, including 12 rated Outstanding...
One of Chile's greatest reds...
Could this be country’s first officially recognised ‘grand cru’ area...?
The influence of the nearby South Atlantic brings a different accent to these wines...
Here are 27 wines to look for...
How good can Malbec be?...
Top wines to try from Argentina’s rugged far north...
See the results from this panel tasting...
10 great vintages of Viñedo Chadwick...
Top Malbecs from high-altitude Uco...
Patricio Tapia highlights the top five Patagonian Malbecs from this lesser-known yet promising region...
Some top whites...
Mendoza produces 75% of the Malbec we see on the shelves, but you’d be wrong to assume the wines are all much the same. To ensure you’re getting the very best that Argentina has to offer, Patricio Tapia reveals the five key sub-zones to look for on labels.
For a memorable holiday filled with sun, sand, sea – and Tannat – head to Maldonado, Uruguay’s newest and most exciting wine region along the Atlantic Coast. Patricio Tapia reports
Electric and refreshing flavours are cropping up in unlikely pockets of Chile and Argentina, at altitude and near the sea. Patricio Tapia discovers the risks and rewards of viticulture in uncharted territory
Its decision to look beyond its existing vineyards to the Uco Valley has transformed the Zuccardi wines, says Patricio Tapia. He explains how a winery founded to showcase irrigation systems has become one of Argentina’s best...
With new wineries setting up monthly in Chile, Patricio Tapia recommends some of the best, who are producing great wines with a real sense of terroir