Chile deserves warm welcome

IF YOU want to know where your next bottle of wine under pounds 4 or pounds 5 should come from, look no further than South America.

You can now get decent bottles from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. But the real quality is coming from Chile.

Carlos Munos of the massive Chilian producers, Concha y Toro says Argentina's quality levels are where Chile was 15 years ago before they had a boost from foreign investment, new equipment and updated techniques.

Argentina is the fourth biggest producer in the world of well- priced but mainly simple wines.

This year's much anticipated attack on the market didn't materialise because of a poor harvest. But watch out for them next year.

That leaves the way clear for Chile, the world's 12th largest producer, which is producing better quality season after season.

The sauvignon blancs are fresh, crisp and beautifully pure and should be drunk as young as possible. The chardonnays are getting ever better and the cabernet sauvignons are nearly always super value at low prices.

But other things are happening, too.

Concha y Toro wines, widely available north and south of the border are too numerous to list here but are always reliable and offer great value around pounds 4 to pounds 5.

But their top wine, the Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is a dream - rich, fruity and complex with a touch of vanilla flavouring from new oak. It's marvellous stuff that will last a good 10 years. And it shows that Chile can produce real quality too at around pounds 10- pounds 12.

La Fortuna is another company with high standards.

The whole range is unwooded - very unusual for the New World - but has a marvellous purity of fruit allied to a European-style restraint.

The sauvignon blanc is very lovely at pounds 4.29, from good independent stores in the north. It has simple fresh elderflower flavours.

The Merlot - currently out of stock - is a perfect example of this grape at pounds 4.69.

But the star of the show for me is the chardonnay - clean, pure, crisp, almost Chablis-like. Wonderful at pounds 4.69.

Chile gives great flavour and great value. Don't miss it.

Copyright 1998 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.