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Bodega Noemia, Rio Negro, Patagonia
A dream vineyard forlorn in the heart of Argentina
Trigger to the project of Bodega Noemia de Patagonia was the finding of an ancient malbec vineyard, that was planted in the 1930s somewhere in the Rio Negro Valley. A distant journey to reach the spot; some 620 miles southwards of Buenos Aires, some 280 miles eastwards of the Andes, 310 miles westwards of the Atlantic or a further 1240 miles from Tierra del Fuego.
Partners in this project, Italian wine producer Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano and Danish winemaker Hans Vinding-Diers found the place and the valley's microclimate perfect for wine grape growing. The magnificence of the Rio Negro Valley, which is influenced by two rivers deriving from the Andes, the Neuquen and the Limay, had already been discovered in 1828 by British colonists, who decided to dig channels to irrigate the valley and create an oasis in the middle of the desert.
It was then and is still today famous for its excellency in pears and apples production. In the early 1900s, the immigrants then introduced the first vineyards, which mainly consisted of French varietals.
The land of dreams
The Rio Negro Valley in Patagonia seems to be a natural paradise for vine growing. The dry climate, with a mere 7 inches of rainfall per year and a maximal humidity of 30%, makes the area free of diseases. The atmosphere has remained unpolluted, pure and pristine in an ancient and original equilibrium with the environment, thus favouring an optimal photosynthesis. This genuineness claims respect towards nature and consequent artisans’ attitudes.
In maturation season, a vast thermal amplitude can be observed, averaging 28 ºC during the day and 9 ºC at night. The four seasons are very precise. After a mild spring, a hot summer is followed by a temperate autumn that leads into a cold winter. The vineyard in question is 3,7 acres large, planted with pre-phelloxera Massale-selected Malbec vines in the 1930s. They are sprayed only once a year with Copper Sulphate and are irrigated not more than five times a year.
