Edmund James Palmer Norton
Sir Edmund James Palmer Norton(1865-1944) was an engineer of English decent who was born on the frontier between Germany and Denmark, though raised in England. He is credited as a pioneer of Argentine viniculture.[1]
Transandine Railway
After graduating with a degree in engineering his expertise in building railway bridges was requested to help build the Transandine Railway which connected the Argentine railroad from Mendoza to Santiago, Chile.[2] This line, climbing through the Andes through a 12,000-foot pass, was built in one of the most difficult railroad terrains in the world.[3] Though the railway has not been functional since 1984, in 2006, both the Argentine and Chilean governments agreed to refurbish the railway and make it functional by the year 2010, at an estimated total cost of US$460 million.[4]
Argentine Viniculture
Once his work on the railway was completed, he moved to Bahia Blanca before returning to Mendoza in 1889 to settle permanently. Though his formal training was in designing railway bridges, he soon sought other opportunities. In 1895 he founded the very first winery in the area, Bodega Norton, located to the south of the Mendoza River in the district of Perdriel, in the department of Luján de Cuyo. Norton recognized the Mendoza region's potential for wine cultivation and production, and planted grapes with vines imported from France. He devoted the rest of his life to winemaking. He married Juana Suarez and had several children, some of whom continued the family business.[5]
Bodega Norton
In 1989, Bodega Norton was acquired by Austrian entrepeneur Gernot Langes–Swarovski, owner of Swarovski Crystal Company.[6] Bodega Norton now exports over 1.5 million cases annually[7]
- ^ Fischer, Richard (2006, April 19). Globalization and the Latin Perspective. Retrieved October 24, 2008, from http://www.dallasfed.org/news/speeches/fisher/2006/fs060419.html
- ^ Transandine Railway. (2008, October 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:39, October 24, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Transandine_Railway&oldid=246552424
- ^ Schreiner, John (2008, April 13). Travels in Argentina Wine Country: Bodega Norton. Plan It, British Columbia. Retrieved October 24, 2008 from http://www.planitbc.com/Articles/article241-BodegaNorton.html
- ^ Transandine Railway. (2008, October 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:39, October 24, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Transandine_Railway&oldid=246552424
- ^ Bodega Norton. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2008, from http://www.sawineco.com/vineyard.cfm?preview=96tml
- ^ Bodega Norton. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2008 from http://www.norton.com.ar/english/origin.htm
- ^ Molesworth, James (2007, November 29). A Sit Down With Bodega Norton. Wine Spectator Retrieved October