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Humberto Canale

Humberto Canale and the early years of Patagonian wine


The birth of viticulture in Patagonia is closely linked to Bodega Humberto Canale, the first agricultural enterprise to set up in Alto Valle de Río Negro.

After the end of the Desert Campaign (1879-1886), agricultural and industrial development in the region expanded, driven by the arrival of the railway.

In Alto Valle de Río Negro irrigation work taking advantage of water from the rivers Limay, Neuquén and Negro made possible the establishment of the most southerly viticultural outpost in Argentina to date.

This regional progress attracted the young engineer Humberto Canale to Patagonia. At the age of 33 he took the bold decision to acquire the 400 hectares where, in 1909, he would found his winery.

By 1912, this son of Genoan immigrants had managed to turn half that surface area into vineyards of Sémillon, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon using seedlings he’d imported from Bordeaux himself.

The subsequent years saw Humberto Canale’s project become the leading fruit and viticultural enterprise in the region, producing pears, apples and quality wines that were then distributed across the country.

Canale’s entrepreneurial vision also helped him to see the need to establish his own sawmill to produce fruit boxes, as well as refrigerated trucks, fruit driers, cider and jam factories and packing warehouses where the goods could be prepared for transport and export. Bodega Humberto Canale thus became a model establishment.

Later in the 20th century, Manuel Luis Canale, who succeeded Humberto, consolidated Bodega Humberto Canale’s position by incorporating new technology and was the first company in the General Roca area to implement bin harvesting for its fruit in 1967.

In 1965, Guillermo Barzi Canale, Humberto’s great nephew and a fellow engineer, joined the company and started a process of modernization, investment and commercial growth in local and international markets. However, as these new challenges were taken on, the company never lost sight of its founding family values or respect for the quality of output from the Alto Valle.

During this time, the winery was advised by major figures in the field such as Raúl de la Mota whom, together with Barzi Canale made the establishment the first in the region to import equipment to make high quality white wine with temperature controlled fermentation.

This innovation allowed, in 1976, for the launch of the first Sémillon varietal in Argentina, which soon became a classic on the local scene.

In 1975 the winery created the line ‘Humberto Canale for Export’, whose 1978 Merlot varietal won numerous international awards and was also accompanied by the first Malbec varietal from Patagonia.

Having inherited the restless, entrepreneurial spirit of his great uncle and proud of the charms of Alto Valle de Río Negro, Barzi Canale became a passionate champion of Patagonian wines. His enthusiasm didn’t just take him across the world, it also encouraged him, in partnership with a small group of winemakers from Mendoza and Salta, to invite the British wine writer Hugh Johnson to visit Argentine vineyards. It was the first visit to the country by a member of the specialized international press and the result was Argentina’s first appearance in Johnson’s 1997 Pocket Guide in which he hailed Bodega Humberto Canale as ‘** *** Premier Río Negro winery. 95 Sau Bl and Pinot excellent. Also improved Merlot and Malbec”.

In the 90s, the pace of change intensified with the incorporation of new technology, the appearance of the first oak barrels in Patagonia and the improvement of family vineyards.

At the turn of the century, the winery hired the Danish winemaker Hans Vinding Diers to develop the first high end wines from Patagonia, Marcus Gran Reserva, whose Pinot Noir 1999 is considered a keystone of the new Argentine viticultural scene.

Proud of the identity the region imprints upon each of its wines, the winery, in partnership with INTA, embarked upon the designation of the Geographic Indication in 1999, an achievement that currently protects the origin of wines made across the extended region.

One hundred years of history and new paths

Echoing the major changes occurring across the Argentine wine scene, at the beginning of the 21st century, Bodega Humberto Canale underwent a period of renewal that coincided with the assumption of the fourth generation of the family.

While preparations were underway to celebrate the winery’s centenary with the launch of the commemorative wine CENTENIUM, the new generation implemented a process of professionalization that resulted in improved precision and balance in the wines as part of a strategic, revitalizing vision that sought to consolidate the winery’s position in the high end market with its Marcus Gran Reserva and Humberto Canale Estate labels.

During this new stage, the winery was advised by the renowned Argentine oenoloist Susana Balbo, while the refurbishment of the vineyard was overseen by the expert Agricultural Engineer Pedro Marchesqui.

Today, it’s the young and enthusiastic brothers Guillermo (h) and Germán Barzi who – together with Juan Martín Vidiri, Director of Production and a great professional team – have taken on the responsibility of keeping alive the revolutionary spirit of Humberto Canale in each of the decisions that will determine the future of the venerable winery.

Committed to the community and the environment but also aware of the importance of having the right technology for high end viticulture, the new generation is constantly implementing programmes to improve management techniques and modernize technologies, bringing in new equipment and machinery and refurbishing and expanding the winery’s historic headquarters.

Clear evidence of the development and vision of this generation can be seen in the wines featured in the lines Humberto Canale Gran Reserva, Humberto Canale Old Vineyard and the most recent flagship label, Barzi Canale ‘Family Blend’. All these labels speak to the pride we feel for a past of hard work and achievement but also our commitment to a prosperous future in a market that requires an innovative vision to meet new challenges in an efficient and dynamic manner.

Bodega Humberto Canale now has 150 hectares of vineyards that every year produce 1,500,000 bottles which are sold in Argentina and 23 other countries and all come from an establishment that is setting standards for sustainable practices.

Country Argentina
Region Patagonia
Annual Production Total Production 200.000 cases
Serendipity Markets Texas

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