Hi,
Im looking for a wine trip to Bolivia,does anyone can suggest me any hotel near the wineries area?Very excited to discover Bolivia and its wines!Thanks!
If, I find it, I’ll try it.
It has become a good article Shaun, creating awareness about a very small wine producing country, which has been the wine world's best kept secret. However, for some reason, the founding fathers of the modern wine sector in Bolivia, Bodegas Kohlberg, are not mentioned in the article. Julio Kohlberg and his family have yet played such a pioneering role in getting the current wine business established, that I find it important to mention them. This big family business (it is the main producer in size by far, ánd it is run by many family members) has transformed itself lately from a table wine focused winery into a more premium wine driven producer. A few years ago they even started producing a fantastic 'icono' range which will be released sometime next year. Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet, Tempranillo and a blend are made. And at one of the blind tastings at a Master of Wine trip in March, the Kohlberg wines showed they could compete with the likes of Cheval des Andes and Achaval Ferrer. I am personally especially fond of their recent initiative to buy the fruit of the family Gonzalez ancestral vineyard in Los Cintis, and finally turn fruit from 100 to 200 year old vines into great single vineyard wines. Another fenomenal initiative is the new plantings of Aranjuez and several new producers coming on stream. So much happening in Bolivia! Shaun will have to come back soon to stay on top of it!
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@ Cees van Casteren MW Amsterdam
Mr. van Casteren's impassioned praise of Bolivian wines is well understandable. But it also shows that brave spirits in any country, ranked as 2nd, 3rd or 4th in wine quality, can overcome the prevailing opinion and elevate their product to an acceptable level.
Thank you for highlighting one of the MANY wonderful things my country has to offer! I hope the Bolivian government does not become a major obstacle for these families to export their wine
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“The French varieties in reds are working really good,” said Mauricio Hoyos, the general manager at Aranjuez, a tannat specialist here in Tarija, the country’s wine capital.
I will seek out any winemakers who, like Mauricio, understand that varietal is an adjective and not a noun!
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I'd be happy to try Bolivian wine again in the unlikely event that I'll have the chance. My first exposure was about 25 years ago at a wine tasting in Boston where a Bolivian man was hoping to export his wine to the US. From what I remember, it was pretty bad. But I'd be willing to try again. I'd be curious to compare a Bolivian Tannat to Chateau Montus, which I visited a few years ago (but didn't get a chance to try La Tyre).
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I travelled to Bolivia this summer and tried the Tannat Origen produced by Aranjuez. I was blown away by the quality of the wine.
French wine is world class, no one doubts it, but it is not the only wine out there.
For those of you who "won't lose sleep over it" keep your head in the sand. That means more quality wine for the rest of us!
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Thanks.
I live in Bogota where wine selection is limited to Argentine and Chile.
I will hit my local bodega today to see if they carry any Bolivian wines.
Incidently, I was in Ecuador last week for a Galapogas trip - same story - all Argentine and Chile wines. And priced high as compared to the competitive market of USA.
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"for every 25 acres of grapes planted, 10 families are lifted out of poverty."
Although I wound never turn down any French wine I may have to try a bottle or two of Bolivian wine.
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I admit to have neither ever heard, nor tasted Bolivian wine, and yet I lose no sleep over it.
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