Winemaker Notes
Bodega Santa Julia was created in honor of Julia Zuccardi, part of the third generation of the Zuccardi Family. Santa Julia winery represents the family’s commitment to producing the highest quality wines through organic and sustainable practices that protect the environment and uplift the local community. Sustainable practices include organic farming, compost production, bottling in lightweight glass, and solar power at the winery. For Julia, and the Zuccardi Family, sustainability is not just about working in harmony with the environment, rather it is a comprehensive approach that supports the land, the farmers, and the overall health of the local community through education, equality, physical and financial health. Julia continues to enrich her local community by overseeing programs which provide childcare and schooling for employees’ children, adult education programs, access to computer labs, and health centers to sustain physical and mental wellness. With Santa Julia in your glass, you are assured a high quality wine which respects the land and supports local families who diligently tend to the vines.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.