This meeting is being recorded Hi everyone welcome welcome wsct bite Size Edition my name is Bonnie Buchanan I am head of global accounts for the WSET and today we're going to be talking About carbon air Um for those of you that aren't familiar Wsct is one of the leading providers of Qualifications in wine spirits in sake Uh we do qualifications in over 70 Different countries we've got more than 800 course providers if you need Anything from us you can find us at Wsctglobal.com This is a recorded session so it will be Available to watch via the global events Hub on YouTube also if you have any Questions please pop them in the Q a box And we will do our best to answer all Questions at the end if we miss any uh We can do our best to be in touch and so With all of those notes out of the way I Want to take an opportunity to introduce Our speaker Um today we're talking to Pedro Rodriguez which I just said very Horribly I'm so sorry Pedro he is Founder and CEO of Gran Kata which is a Really really wonderful wine shop here In Washington DC with a Latin American Focus and that is why he is talking to Us today about this wonderful great Carbon air uh Pedro comes from a Wonderful background studying uh you
Know overseas in Barcelona coming from His native Puerto Rico and uh he is Going to talk to us about this wonderful Grape he holds his Advanced certified WSET degree and from here I'm going to Let him take it off over to you Pedro Thank you very much Bonnie and uh good Afternoon good evening Uh good morning everyone it's a pleasure To be part of the wct webinar uh talk About one of our favorite priorities Here in in Um in uh in our shop in Gran Kata Academy States as you know so we uh we Confounded a company in 2011 with Julio He's actually from Chile and uh we want To just be Latin America Ambassador the Wine culture here in the in the nation's Capital of uh in the United States so We've been uh with our brick and mortar Since 201 uh 16 we have two locations so If you're in the in the area make sure You visit us so carminaires have already Uh is dear to our hearts because of the Rich history has Um we are Uh definitely embracing it and making People uh making sure people know it get To drink it and do it with friends and Family and it's super unique to us Because uh it's established and it's It's marked in the in the Chilean wine Landscape I'm sure a lot of folks have had uh
Chilean wine but caminary is a unique Expression it's like the shinjabari that I lost grepo Bordeaux so uh we're super Happy to be able to Showcase uh kind of The uniqueness of the party but also to Understand it better and to enjoy better With all the delicious Cuisine from Different parts of the world so Carminaire as uh everybody knows is uh One of the original Bordeaux varieties That uh got kind of disappeared from the One landscape in uh In France in the 19 Uh sorry 1867 more or less uh due to the Play called philosopher as you know it's A microorganism that killed the Rootstock so when they were replanting Trying to uh kind of make sure Um all these parts didn't go extinct They thought that carminaire went Extinct A super fun story about a image boyish Back to uh to the Americas through Chile And then it actually uh stopped in Northern Italy as well in the Benito Region so it's a actually there's Italian carbon area as well but Chile Accounts for most of the production Nowadays uh this is a variety as you Know it's connected to the Bordeaux Grapes so we're talking about Cabernet Sauvignon uh Cabernet Franc patil Merlot Malbeg and then Carmen air was the Missing component
Um and you got Um you know ReDiscover in Chile after Many many decades of enjoying it and Thinking it was The Sibling uh Merlot And a lot of people oh it's a spicy Colona Merlot you know that occur in The Vineyards and then they uh people were Drinking enjoying but they never thought It was that lost grape overdo so in I Was until 1994 Um that a French winemaker uh went to Chile And now with the technology and genetic Testing they rediscovered them already So uh that make He made a shift towards uh you know Understandability that is different from The rest has uh definitely other Ripening conditions and stripes in warm Weather and cold nights uh with uh you Know specific TP City to uh soils Rich Of minerals like decomposed granny soils And also a little bit of clay soil so You get like a good mix to have a good Expression of the carboner priority uh Things that you find in Carmen air Um and there are a lot of people either Love or not a fan of is kind of the Earthy Bell peppery We also describe as jalapeno on the nose That you get like the answers and Aromatics super enticing uh Carmen Ernie's uh means Carmen when it turns Um uh the very song makes his turn uh
The great start to develop those colors Or uh Carmen and in Spanish we call it Carmen so it's it's Um you know a universe If you're one lower you definitely have To taste a lot and make sure that you Understand it uh I personally love Carmina because of the um you know Enticing aromatics but also the kind of More medium plus tannins and uh bright Acid so it's a wine that is beautiful Youthful but if you want to do a much uh More age-worthy variety you can Definitely do so Um it's a it's a it's a beautiful grape To to enjoy with a lot of our Rich Diverse cuisine in Latin America but Also during other parts of the world Um you know uh any any type of meat Proteins and so forth so yeah carbon air Uh beautiful connected to the Alberta Varieties uh make sure that uh you ask For in your local wine shop or or Restaurant we embraced it so much that You know we have a kind of different Tiers of carbon air we have like an Entry level meteor high-end common Nursery in our stores both so in our Wine bar we always have a camera by the Glass because it's so important that People can Um you know understand they enjoy it uh And get to know it Um so yeah
Foreign In terms of No noticeable producers I I pick a few That folks should definitely uh get to Know Um uh these are these are our producers That uh they made Ellie and carminaires But they're barely correct Um and and you know in our next slide We're gonna see them Um So we have beautiful Um You know um especially on the camera Specifically in in some regions that uh Do really well uh Joseph of a few key Factors about Chilean Beauty culture Uh that's super important to understand Why the governor strives in in Chile Um for us uh carminaire is a video Cultural uh sorry Jeopardize so uh you get all the Beautiful influential factors you gotta On the Eastern side you get the Andes Mountain range the in Chile is a little Bit more of a it's a pendant more like I Would say 70 90 degrees drop so it's It's like a wall when you see it in Chile and specifically in the culture Area so it's like a walk you're Protecting them from the argentines And then you go like 40 miles Um towards the west and then you find Like the kind of the the valley areas of
Of Chilean be the culture uh most of Them are concentrating between the city Or Concepcion and virtually right now It's going through a lot of wildfires so We're hoping that they they stop and They don't have more damage to the to The Asian Vineyards over there Uh and then goes tours up tour uh Passing That's considered a Central Valley it's Uh some of the oldest vines in the world You're gonna find in there and then Transitioning into the uh kachapua Called chawa Bali and then sub-regions Um Are considered like the premier areas For carbon air due to the unique and Microclimate uh keep in mind that in Chile you have the Andreas and this Mountain range uh to the Eastern side They get the valley then you get La Caldera La Costa the coastal uh mountain Chain Uh there is no uh the elevation is not Outside but there's Pockets that it Breaks from north to south and you have A break from west to east so you get all The coal there from the Pacific coast Bringing all this fog effect Encoder weather during the uh during the Uh morning hours in the early evening at Night so as we all of us know uh the Owner arranged she plays an important Role in ripening conditions for uh these
Delicate priorities uh it's super Important that they they get their their Son exposure so they can Thrive and Develop all this Aromas and and Intensity but also the cooling effect Super important so they maintain it and And the fruit has more precision And then uh our good old friend from uh That uh caresses the Pacifica from south To west uh we have a beautiful uh you Know the humble current that goes from Antarctica all the way to Alaska And there's a reason that Pacific Coast In North and South America the water is So cold because the humble corn brings All that coal uh sea current that drags Uh obviously all the migration of the Fishes uh the the you know the wildlife On on the shores of the of the Pacific Coast but also brings the coal there to To the wine regions that we love so uh If you've never been to Chile Um you know uh it's a it's a it's a Beautiful country with so much diversity So much nature and honestly amazing Wines uh quality for the Priceline Um is amazing And then uh we're talking about with Carmen air Ume they're within two to four hours South of San Diego de Chile the capital So if you're ever in Chile you can do a Lot of uh Winery visits and you can Learn more about the carbon nearby Hardy
Um and um going back to what we like About Carmen air is that we understand The past few decades with a wine growing Um uh you know learning curve we have so Many Uh wines from of carbon airs president Entry level that at some time where like They were picked too early so they have The vegetable quality that a lot of People you know Um Us in the wine World considered to be Something uh too green or too long ripe So Um the Chileans have had this learning Curve to understand the the priority uh It's a late ripening party so it needs a Little bit more hanging time than the Rest of other Bordeaux varieties uh to Have more Precision on the fruit more Concentration and also Um they uh you will get the green Aromatics of the green pepper the bell Pepper the Canada uh freshly cut Jalapeno notes that you break a jalapeno And you kind of smell it not too close To your face because it's gonna itch a Lot but you get those aromatics Uh but it should be there but it Shouldn't be overpowering uh the fruit Profile the barrel profile a DC some Oak Uh carboners is more of a wine that's Usually enjoy Um More uh youthful we think within three
To five years of being bottled uh we Encourage folks to to enjoy it because Uh you know it showcases the true Especially in the carbon air Um and that we love uh so basically in Uh in our opinion Is kind of the Premier Subaru in Coachawa that has a It's a That's a it's a unique microclimate that Gets more of the influence of the Pacific coast still in the valley region So it definitely warms up during the day But you get this uniqueness of the soil Composition that gives a lot of Character to the wine so uh producers That's actually a French wine grower uh From Bordeaux that be making wine in Chile for for decades uh they produce One of the most kind of I would say Good balance expression coming here uh It's called the cube Alexander Um and it concerned about the vineyard So every time you see a camera from Apaita in our opinion it's kind of the Best expression you're gonna get from From uh from of the camera priority Because of the uh granite and clay soils That combination allows to you know good Drainage but also allows the the uh the Roots to kind of show up all these uh Rocks and gets the one freshness Longevity in the bottle and gives the Acidity that it needs to develop uh you
Know H2O in the bottle so Abita is is Super unique Um good thing about Um in Chile that they never have Philosopher as I mentioned before so uh You say you find some of the oldest Vines in the world in Chile that are Still producing uh you know great uh uh That we have you know we internally here In in Gran Kata we always joke around That we we say We say uh you know it's the Jurassic Park or Vineyards because you find Vines Are like 150 year old 200 year old even 300 year old vines in certain parts of The Maola Valley in tata Valley uh keep In mind the Spaniards when they brought The varieties Um To Chile for the first time Um they introduced into in the southern Part so we're talking about uh entering Through conception what is nowadays Construction was one of the initial Seaports and and the body was made its Way uh first of all the vice grape That's the listang also known as criolla Chica in Argentina and Mission graping In uh In uh in Baja California uh In Mexico uh so you have a you know this History over 400 years of wine tracing In Chile and for a lot of people it's Still here in Gem and you know what we
Love about Carmen air that is become Like the emblematic variety of Chile and It's been in Chile for uh almost 150 Years Um so super unique expression other Regions to consider uh throughout the World as I mentioned the Benito region In Italy Um they make some really cool uh super Silky barely correct carminaire it Definitely benefits and kind of the same Similar Um The same similar Um you know a warm day school nights That uh and you know slowly ripening Conditions Um and if it gets too hot obviously You're gonna get a lot of like Um you know grain aspect to the variety And also more geminist to it that uh um You know uh us uh wine enthusiasts uh we We always like for we look for balance Uh on the wine so we don't want to have A cooked fruit or we don't have too much Of a uh under ripe fruit so the Precision uh the Chileans have learned For for decades of producing it that uh You know they understand that now it's a Late Harvest Square so they have to hold It most uh most of the of the time Um something super important as well With Carmen air that is super food Friendly when we talk about wine we talk
About food food is wine one is food so We always uh enjoy with our you know the Native Cuisine I think they're always The best parents for all these parties Throughout the world it's kind of the Local Cuisine whatever people uh you Know usually uh Usually Um eat uh it's kind of the best thing For the bar is that they grow in the Region especially you know through uh Through Europe that you know the it's More regulated in terms of wine Production so uh not like the new world That you have all these mostly French Varieties planted throughout the world And and you identify which work better And which soil types and regions so Noticeable producers that we like and I I want to give a a shout out to more to The castle Silva producer is the It's a single Vineyard in their property Um it's it's tucked in the middle of the Of the Coachella Valley towards uh the Uh towards the the Andes mountain range So super unique uh uh decompose granny Soils there and kind of in between Sandy Slash clay soils that gives the the Carbonara a more softer tannins and they Make a beautiful uh kind of their High Expression cameras called the micro Terroir And the fun fact about this one is that They take
Um uh three different sites of the Lingus and they benefit them engage them Different separately and the age them Really uh separately they do the Fermentation agents separately and and Does see obviously some Barrel time Um and then when the uh the winemaker is Ready to bottle it is when they blend it So it's a it's a it's a blend of three Unique carminaire uh expression in their Vineyard so uh it's a super cool uh kind Of Beautiful uh expression of Carmen air And I had the opportunity to visit them When I was in Chile uh in 2019 before The pandemia and and I tasted the Barrels separately and then how they Bottle it and and obviously Commercialize that bottling so if you Get your hands on the micro two wire It's a wine that has uh I would say 15 20 year aging potential because to the Barrel treatment and the quality of the Grapes so definitely look out for that Uh fun fact about Um Casa Silva they have over like 40 60 Clones of the carboner priority so they Have an experimental Vineyard within Los Lingus that you can they are always kind Of studying the body so in my opinion uh They they have like the most research Behind this body understanding of the Variety because they're always Experimenting
With the uh with the carbonator embrace It they own it and and then people love It other persons to look for as I Mentioned the Martino carmener from Maple I also visited them uh amazing Producers of Italian Heritage uh they're Making ones in the maipo primarily but They also make Wines in in itata Valley In southern Chile Really cool project they have there so They Martino I added it and because it's That unique expression from the maipo But they were the first ones to ever Export Carminaire outside of Chile so they they Were the ones that hey uh this is uni While lovers throughout the world should Try it uh when I was in the vineyard I Saw the the bottling they have like an Atrium and it's like oh the first bottle Of carminaire ever exported so the Martino all the wines are classic Bordeaux style wines they do make some Whites as well and some kind of more Um you know historic Varieties that are making a comeback Like Um As well so uh super cool uh producer and They already talked about La postol uh With the paltabiner and then if you want Something super unique Santa Rita mix That I went Carmina from all the veneers That in my opinion with a with a Micro
Tower from Casa Silva is Some of the best expression camera You're gonna find and I and I included This person because they they have a you Know good press in the international Market so uh just uh and go to your Local lunch and see if they can Source Them for them if they don't carry any Common air these are really cool ones And lastly but not least the Buchan Family that I also visited in 2019 uh From the Maola Valley uh they're coming Here is a little more like youthful more Bistro style so it's a good introduction To the party uh we like Casas uh So the kind of entry level price points That you can you know start getting to Another party food parents with this uh Beautiful uh party Um I obviously included some of the South American Signature dishes patella Chocolate there's uh it's like uh I Always say people never had it's like a Cheaper spot but a pie but it's it's Corn based it's a little paste sweetness Tanginess and spiciness to it on the Bottom you're gonna find uh ground beef They call Latino in in uh in uh in Chile So it's a unique seasoning we're using The American Spice from mapuche Community in southern Chile so it's Gonna go stand in hand with uh one of uh Chile's uh uh you know signature Cuisine Obviously beef empanadas it can be big
It could be it could be also Um Uh deep fried uh I love Milan salientina I think with a with a you know breaded Uh uh you know beef uh deep fried super Toasty and elegant you get a little bit Mashed potatoes on the side a really Good pairing as well and different meat Eaters uh I love uh fungi oh mushroom Pizza different porcini mushroom Shiitake mushrooms really good cheese And it's a beautiful pairing as well and Then Um Some vegetable kitchens so Um you know you have some options to do Fun pairings when you're exploring this Variety Um so yeah That's amazing Pedro thank you so much And way to end it on some food pairings I think all of us depending on where we Are in the world are always thinking About our opportunity for some food Um This is this has been absolutely amazing I think we touched on some of the Questions I think that are in the the Box there uh there's a specific question Here about how much carbon air has still Grown in France if you know better than I do say but I believe it's less than Five percent the last time yeah it's Quite minimum uh definitely that the
French that kind of hinder the Modernization of the wine industry in Terms of laboring packing marketing the Wines they're paying attention to their Parties how they're doing and throughout The world so you're starting to see uh a Little bit coming here but I I I I I Don't think 100 it might be added to as A blending grape as they usually do in In Bordeaux in the beginnings of the Production uh but also like the tanag Group that does really is essential They're doing 100 on ads and then in Course as well the mile bag so I Definitely they're planting I think the Advice are quite uh youthful so I don't Think they they're starting to bottle Something that says Carmina as you know They go by the location and the Appellation uh so yeah Utilizing it as that blend that they Need to kind of add a little more body Um that kind of lends into this next Question which I feel like we kind of Touched on you know less expensive Styles work versus more expensive Styles And I mean you touched it on it when you Were talking about those producers I Think you said the Bouchon was a little Bit more of a kind of entry level Um and then uh you know some of the Other single Vineyard ones that you Mentioned sound absolutely amazing Obviously they take a little more care
And time uh but really some lovely Lovely recommendations there Um so hopefully hopefully we've answered That question well enough for everyone Um there's a question here about Irrigation techniques I don't know how Much you can touch on that Um I think generally speaking we all Know that irrigation sensitive topic Sometimes it's allowed sometimes yeah You know as you know uh you know water Usage in in Vineyards uh is an important Component to maintain the cleanliness of The the of the winery but also the Irrigation in Chile most of the Maola Valley is not irrigated so they call it Is dry farming uh that I I do love those Type of wines especially caring yam from Chile does really well in that type of Conditions but uh uh usually uh in this Area in Los Lingus when I was there I Saw some drape irrigation You know like uh if Mother Nature Doesn't give you a lot of water and the Minds need a little bit just to get you Know going they they will definitely do That drip irrigation but at the same Time Uh as we all know we are climate change And all these different Atmospheric uh you know uh things going On like El Nino La Nina I guess uh Drought and Chile has been to a lot of Throughout the past decade uh thankfully
Like this last summer days are winter Here in another hemisphere they have a Lot of snow accumulation in the Andy so They they definitely all the rivers and Lakes golly more water but it's an Ongoing issue especially in warmer areas Uh like in the southern tip of Chile and Itata and also Casablanca Valley they're Being struggling with a lack of water so You know uh water is uh Uh Toc uh it's like the Pinot Noir grade 2 then it's a little more attention to It uh and and that's that's uh it's an Important question but you know Irrigation uh it depends on the producer Well look I don't want to cut everyone Off but we are trying to keep everyone On schedule here so we have reached at The 11 o'clock hour any questions that We have not answered please send them Through we will keep a note about that And try to get those answers to you I Want to thank everyone that took the Time to uh come in and see us and talk To us and listen to what we have to say From across the globe I have seen so Many different countries pop up in that Chat box and it has been absolutely Amazing I want to thank Pedro for taking The time you guys are busy busy uh doing All that you do it was so wonderful to Hear your knowledge on this topic and With that again if anybody else wants to Reach out to us please don't hesitate to
Send an email or a note and we will be In touch thank you everyone have a Wonderful afternoon enjoy enjoy some Carbon air Thank you enjoy salute