South America is the world's second-largest wine-producing region behind Europe. Bet you didn't know that. And Brazil - you know, the country of carnivals, and millions of acres of wine grape-unfriendly rainforest - is now the world's 15th largest wine producer. Well, I didn't know that - until I read Monty Waldin's Wines of South America.
South America always had so much potential. I saw that clearly on my first visit there five years ago. Chile was producing stunning Cabernet Sauvignon and voluptuous Merlot. Now it is turning out stuff to rival some of the best in Bordeaux. A later visit to Argentina showed the country to be a winemaker's paradise. It's the largest producer in South America and the fifth-largest wine producer in the world, and it has a way with Malbec that's unrivalled by any other country.
Waldin's book brings you, and me, up to date on one of the most exciting corners of the vinous world. In each chapter, in sections called Notable Producers, it follows the key movers and shakers, often peppering Waldin's lowdown with amusing insights into the producers' lives. Be warned: it'll make you want to visit. But the book helps you out there, too, with tips on how to secure a winery visit, plus full contact details.
Each country has its own introduction covering wine regions and wine styles, organised by wine colour then grape variety. Producers and the names of their wines are listed in alphabetical order after grape variety or wine style entries.
For example, he introduces the reader to the famously tannic Tannat grape, grown in abundance in Uruguay, which is currently being "tamed" by foreign winemakers who have arrived in this viticultural Promised Land in droves. "Its thick, black skins comfortably resist Uruguay's maritime squalls, at the same time soaking up the summer sun without breaking a sweat," he writes, poetically.
Export issue
Not all of South America's wine-producing regions are included here. It's an export issue (we don't get any) and a quality one - Ecuador and Colombia just don't cut it on that score, says Waldin, and Paraguay's German expats drink virtually everything they make, so what's the point?
Venezuela does get a mention, though. Or rather, one winery does: Bodegas Pomar, which turns out whites that "show lush, fat flavours. Just make sure you drink them soon after landing," he advises.
Bolivia, surprisingly, gets a fair few pages to itself - the vineyards here are the world's highest, at nearly 2,700m - it's just that you need to prepare against altitude sickness before visiting them, warns Waldin. What grows best here? Carignan and Grenache. This is pioneer stuff, I tell you.
Wines of South America
Monty Waldin
Mitchell Beazely, £25
ISBN 1-84000-609-9