Pick of the Vine: Blended red from Chile a crowd-pleasing bargain

Pick of the Vine: Blended red from Chile a crowd-pleasing bargain

BY TIM DWIGHT | FOR FLORIDA TODAY | June 4, 2009
View article here: www.floridatoday.com


Palo Alto 2007 Reserve red wine is this week's Pick of the Vine.

The wine industry in Chile, long the source for great bargains, most recently has labored under the shadow of its Andean neighbor, Argentina. The emergence of malbec on the world stage has led to unparalleled growth for this latter country while Chilean imports have slowed perceptibly. But never underestimate the resourcefulness of this westernmost country in South America; well-established large-scale wine producers dominate the industry there, and they've begun to flex their muscles.

Concha Y Toro is one of the formidable conglomerates in Chile, and we all have seen -- and likely tasted -- its wines, which are omnipresent on grocery store shelves around our country.

Palo Alto is a new line of bargain-priced wines from parent Concha Y Toro, and they are based around the burgeoning vineyards in Chile's Maule Valley region.

Blending is one thing the Chileans do well, and the Palo Alto Reserve is a combination of 55 percent cabernet sauvignon, 15 percent syrah, and 30 percent carmenere. The resulting red is a medium-bodied, versatile crowd-pleaser with notes of blueberry, cassis, and dried tobacco leaf. The oak contributes back-end, finishing flavors of cedar and dried thyme, making the Palo Alto a fitting companion to burgers, pizza or barbecue.

Approximate retail price of the Palo Alto is $10 to $11; distribution in our area is through Premier Beverage Imports.