Cono Sur is one of Chile’s most exciting wine producers, leading the way with interesting grape varieties and environmentally-friendly winemaking.
The Isla Negra range, produced by Cono Sur, is named after the pretty fishing village on the Pacific coast where Chile’s most famous poet Pablo Neruda lived for many years. The wines are all fruity and fresh - perfect for everyday drinking.
The High Tide wines were created exclusively for Morrisons, and both are great examples of top quality Chilean wine. The Chardonnay is rich and tropical, with crisp, lemony flavours which go perfectly with grilled herby chicken, seafood pastas and risottos. The Cabernet Sauvignon is packed with intense blackcurrant fruit flavours mingling with spicy vanilla and coffee aromas, making it the ideal partner for tasty stews and rich meaty dishes.
Since it was established in 1993, Cono Sur has always been committed to caring for the environment. At the winery, this takes the form of water conservation, power efficiency and natural viticulture. Some of the vineyards are certified fully organic, while elsewhere they're managed in the most natural way possible. Believe it or not, Cono Sur keeps a famous flock of geese, which is let into the vineyards every day. They wander up and down the vines hunting for burritos, the harmful bugs which eat the vines, so there's no need for chemical pesticides. And the geese also provide another useful service – natural fertiliser for the soil!
Cono Sur’s wine labels feature an old-fashioned bicycle. This is a tribute to Cono Sur’s workers, who cycle from the village to the winery every day. It’s also a symbol of Cono Sur’s dedication to a cleaner, greener environment.
Adolfo Hurtado was only 26 years old when he became Chief Winemaker of Cono Sur, itself a very young winery at the time. In his inimitable friendly and relaxed style, he has taken Cono Sur to the top in just 10 years. He was recently voted ‘Winemaker of the Year’ in the Wines of Chile Awards 2008.
Adolfo's particular passion is Pinot Noir. It is no coincidence that Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult grape varieties to work with, but Adolfo relishes the challenge. He even has a separate cellar dedicated entirely to Pinot Noir. He borrows many of the same techniques used in Burgundy, the home of Pinot Noir, but his wines are typically Chilean in style: intense, pure and very appealing.
Look out for the 2007 red wines from Chile, which should start to appear on the shelves this summer. This was an outstanding vintage – one of the best years yet, according to Adolfo Hurtado. This excellent quality is all down to the ideal weather conditions over the past year. The vines produced fewer grapes than normal and, because it was cooler than usual, the grapes were able to ripen slowly, which allowed them to develop great colour and intense flavours. Finally, there was absolutely no rain in the run up to the harvest, so the winemakers were able to pick the grapes at exactly the right moment.
To find out more visit www.conosur.com
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