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Argentina Harvest Report 2017

by AB

Off the back of a very wet El Niño vintage last year, it was a relief for winemakers in Argentina to return to its more characteristic dry climate.

Although quality is considered high across the board, damaging spring frosts significantly reduced the quantity.

‘2017 is a fantastic harvest in terms of quality,’ said Santiago Achaval, winemaker at Matervini.

‘After 2014 and 2015 were challenged by rain close to the harvest, and 2016 in spring and early summer, we had a return to almost normal Mendoza weather. The only problem was a series of near-frost events during spring. This resulted in a poor fruit set for Malbec, with yields down between 40% and 60%.’

Read the full report on Decanter
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El Nino hampers Argentina’s 2016 harvests

by AB

Written for Decanter

The El Niño weather cycle saw Argentina report its worst pre-harvest grape losses since 1957, with production in 2016 expected to be 27% smaller than 2015 across the country and 39% down in Mendoza. A cool and wet spring set the harvest back by a month.
April was a wash out with 400% more rainfall than usual over 15 days complicating harvest times and adding botrytis to the list of problems alongside powdery and downy mildew.
Read the full article on Decanter.com
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Women in Wine: Argentina

by AB

Twenty years ago, it was hard-won to find a female working in the wine industry in Argentina, let alone a female winemaker. But today women are taking their place in the sector and this year’s Argentina Wine Awards boasted an all-female tasting panel, bringing to light the role that many of the fairer sex now play in the industry. This feature for The Drinks Business looks at some of the female trailblazers of the industry, and also some of the up-and-coming young female winemakers of Argentina.

Susana B, 21. Susana Balbo

Susana Balbo is unquestionably one of the most remarkable women in wine, not only in Argentina. Head winemaker and owner of Dominio del Plata, Balbo is at the top of her game, but reaching these heights as a woman was not easy. Hardships began early for young Balbo who had wanted to study Physics, but – due to the military dictatorship – had to pick a degree closer to home (which in Mendoza, is winemaking).

Even the early 80s, Balbo wasn’t the only female in the class – out of 33 classmates, 17 were women. She was however the only woman to graduate, making her the first female winemaker in South America. She puts the low completion rate down to having to take a late night bus (past the 10pm curfew), creating more vulnerability for women during the tyrannical military regime.

Life wasn’t easy as the first female in the profession. “I couldn’t get a job in Mendoza, I was rejected from many applications because I was a woman,” she confesses. It wasn’t until an opportunity arose in Salta, that she got her first job in a winery – partly because some of the hiring process was made by a headhunting firm in Paris, France.

Her move to Salta was indeed fateful…

For the full article, you can view the PDF here.

 

Laura Catena DB 22. Laura Catena

One of the greatest spokespersons and ambassadors for Argentine wine abroad, Laura Catena splits her time between San Francisco where she is a doctor, and Mendoza where she works in her family winery, Catena Zapata. Author of Vino Argentino, Chair of IWSC in 2014, international guest speaker – Catena’s communications achievements are endless.

Although she might already be considered as reaching a par with her industrious father Nicolas Catena in terms of promoting Argentine wine, it is her work as a scientist that is most remarkable. When she started working at the winery in 1995, there were few women and convincing a largely male team that she – a young female graduate – knew better when it came to vineyard research, was a challenge…

For the full article, you can view the PDF here.

 

Gabriela Celeste3. Gabriela Celeste

While female winemakers are growing in number, female wine consultants are still a very rare breed. After meeting the French consultant winemaker Michel Rolland while working in Trapiche in 1996, Celeste begin her international education in wine and is now the right hand of Rolland as his partner at their consultancy firm, EnoRolland. Though she works under the Rolland brand as a consultant, Celeste has made a name for herself in her own right…

For the full article, you can view the PDF here.

 

Andrea Marchiori4. Andrea Marchiori

Having grown up running around her father’s vineyard in Lujan de Cuyo, Andrea Marchiori’s choice in the career was a natural one. Completing her winemaking degree as the only woman in the class, she headed to Sonoma in the US with her husband and fellow winemaker, Luis Barraud. There they met flying winemaker Paul Hobbs and while overseas began talks about a partnership back in her hometown of Mendoza. Now, with Hobbs and Barraud, Marchiori fronts a successful winery – Viña Cobos – where you can find some of Argentina’s most acclaimed, and most expensive, wines…

For the full article, you can view the PDF here.

 

Laura Principiano5. Laura Principiano

Today Bodega Zuccardi is one of the most exciting investments in Argentina. A large family winery with young gun winemaker Sebastian Zuccardi at the head, it has brought forward innovations, finesse and has just opened a landmark new winery in the Uco Valley. Behind every great captain through, there is a great skipper. And the skipper of Zuccardi’s vessel is a woman – Laura Principiano. Plucked straight out of University to join Zuccardi in their experimentation lab…

For the full article, you can view the PDF here.

 

Andrea (gen del alma)6. Andrea Mufatto

Coming into winemaking after having four children, Mufatto juggles motherhood with her growing career as the second winemaker for Zorzal and Head Winemaker for the family winery Gen del Alma. “Being a winemaker and a mother of 4 children is complicated! But winemaking is a lifestyle for us as a family, and with Gen del Alma we get to live our dreams and make these wines.”
Mufatto, like her brothers-in-law (winemakers Matias and Juan Pablo Michelini) and husband Gerardo Michelini, is a fan of a leaner, fresher style of wine with high acidity and more natural winemaking methods. Her wines focus heavily on playful co-fermentations, like for example Ji Ji Ji: a slightly madcap carbonic co-fermentation of Malbec and Pinot Noir…

For the full article, you can view the PDF here.

 

Valeria, Piattelli7. Valeria Antolin

Coming from a winemaking family, it wasn’t surprise to Antolín’s father (a renowned sparkling wine producer) that she wanted to study agronomy and winemaking. What might be somewhat surprising is that her female cousin and younger sister soon followed suit! After working in working in Viña Cobos, Antolín settled into a full time role in 2003 with her current employer, Piatelli, where she climbed her way to Head Winemaker for both their their Mendoza and Cafayate (Salta) wineries. Antolín has been significant in the development of the brand and in particular surprised many with her take on Torrontes…

For the full article, you can view the PDF here.

 

Paula Borgo8. Paula Borgo

Head winemaker for Spanish-owned Septima, Paula Borgo is responsable for the wine and sparkling wine production of one of the bigger wineries in Mendoza. Her path in the industry also began through family: “My relationship with wine is due to my father, he is an agronomist that is very well connected to the sector,” says Borgo. “As a young girl, the countryside, the vineyards and wine, accompanied me through to my adolescence…

For the full article, you can view the PDF here.

 

Paula Gonzalez9. Paula Gonzalez

One of the youngest female winemakers in the profession, 25-year-old Paula Gonzalez is second winemaker at Bodega Casarena in Lujan de Cuyo. Working under Head Winemaker Bernardo Bossi Bonilla, Gonzalez has played a hand in the development and launch of their latest DNA range and single vineyard range. While Malbec is still the flagship of the winery, it is a different variety that is the apple in Gonzalez’s eye: “Malbec is one of the most important varieties for us, but I think Cabernet Franc is one that is going to explode…

For the full article, you can view the PDF here.

10. Other Women in the Industry

“There are many families with daughters who want to work, and because family wineries and vineyards are such a big part of the industry it is inevitable that there will be more women working in every aspect of winemaking,” says Laura Catena, daughter of one of Argentina’s most renowned vignerons Nicolas Catena. Laura is, like many women in the industry, the new female offspring and offering in Argentine wine. Spot 10 on our list of women in wine is dedicated to the many women, and daughters, who are making the industry what it is today.

Female winemakers and agronomists like: Lorena Mulet (featured in last year’s 10 Winemakers to Watch, Cruzat), Carola Tizio (Vicentin), Soledad Vargas (La Anita), Estela Perinetti (LUCA), Silvia Corti (Argento), Romina Carparelli (Margot), Celia Lopez (Navaro Correas), Victoria Pons (Melipal), Pamela Alfonso (Altavista), and Victoria Prandina (Trivento) among others.

Of course for all the daughters moving into the industry as career women, the industry would never have developed to such an extent if it weren’t for the dedicated wives and mothers too. Many of whom have not only supported their husbands in a gruelling and time-consuming career, but raised a family that respect and admire their wine heritage.

Women also occupy some of the top sommelier and educator positions in Argentina, notably including Marina Beltrame (the first female sommelier in Argentina, and founder of Escuela Argentina de Sommelier) and Paz Levinson (currently Best Sommelier of the Americas).

Wine is no longer the realm of only men in Argentina, women are an increasingly integral part in the offices, the sales rooms, the restaurants, the laboratory, the winery, and the field.

By Amanda Barnes

Have women ‘feminised’ Malbec?

The appearance of more women on the winemaking scene might lead one to the rather simplistic conclusion that women are responsable for making Argentine Malbec more ‘feminine’. This would be doing a great disservice to all the male winemakers in Argentina, and also generalising about the winemaking style of female winemakers. As Argentina becomes more worldly in taste and experience, its Malbec has seen a great diversity of expressions in recent years: from more ‘masculine’, meaty Malbecs, to more ‘feminine’, ethereal and elegant Malbecs. Instead of gender, the different styles of Malbec are representative of different soils and micro-climates, changing winemaking tendencies, and the different personal tastes and experience of each maker. Often female winemakers make big and bold wines, and undoubtedly many male winemakers are the source of some of the most elegant Malbecs being produced in Argentina right now.

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Argentina Vintage Report 2015

by AB

It’s been a tricky harvest for much of Argentina, with yet another warm and wet vintage that will separate the good winemakers from the inexperienced.

Written for Wine-Searcher

Argentina received the tail-end of Chile’s odd climatic year. In the south, the Patagonian region of Chubut had to pick earlier than planned in order to avoid ash fall from Chile’s volcanic explosion damaging the crops. “Normally in the region, Merlot is harvested between May 2-5, but we had to pick it early because of the bad predictions of ash settling,” said Dario Gonzalez, a consultant in the region.

In Mendoza, the heartland of Argentine wine, the harvest was unusually wet and warm. Many producers, who are not used to dealing with humid conditions in its normally dry climate, lost large quantities of fruit to adverse conditions. “This harvest was a very strange one,” commented Leo Erazu, winemaker for Altos Las Hormigas. “It started really warm for two months, and then the constant rainy periods affected some areas very badly, and strong hailstorms damaged a lot of hectares. Rot attacks were very common from March onwards; downy mildew attacks were widespread in all the Pedriel and Agrelo areas. The hail badly affected some regions such as El Peral in Tupungato, some vineyards lost up to the 50 percent of the yield … Harvest time was very important this year. Because of the human scale of our project we still managed to taste every block of grapes, and harvested almost everything before the rain came.”

The challenge this year was on getting the timing right; dodging the rains and coping with the early harvest. “The spring buds arrived 20 days earlier than a normal year,” said winemaker Matias Michelini, winemaker for Passionate Wines, Zorzal and Sophenia in the Uco Valley, where he is always one of the first to harvest. “It has been one of the shortest harvests I remember…”

Read the full report at Wine-Searcher

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Empanada and Wine Pairing

by AB

Written for Grape Collective

If there’s one dish that you’ll find in every country in South America, it’s the mighty empanada. It may be fluffy and moist, or crisp and crunchy, bite sized or head sized, baked or fried… whatever texture and filling variation comes your way, these pockets of pastry are a perfect, unpretentious appetizer that pair wonderfully with the region’s wines.

One of my favorite dinner parties to throw is an empanada party – you only need to make one batch of empanada dough (a basic pie pastry) and you can let your imagination run wild with playful pairings, and you almost always find they work with South American wines. Here are some typical, and not-so-typical, South American empanadas to try pairing with the region’s wines.

Chile & Peru: Seafood Empanadas, Pisco and Sauvignon Blanc

These neighboring countries have a lot in common: stunning Pacific coastlines, high altitude winemaking and both claim to be the creator of Pisco! It’s not strictly a wine, but Pisco is grape-derived and, besides, a punchy Pisco Sour cocktail is a perfect way to kick off a South America tasting. Pisco (you can side with Peru or Chile) combined with lime juice, egg whites, powdered sugar (or syrup) and a dash of bitters makes a light and frothy, sweet and sour cocktail predestined to get everyone in the mood.

The best pair for Pisco Sour is traditional ceviche for a tongue twisting lime-citrus punch, fresh seafood flavors and aromatic cilantro. While I am the first to say that nothing beats a traditional ceviche, my unorthodox suggestion is an empanada twist on the national dish (let’s hope no Chilean or Peruvian great-grandmothers are turning in their graves at the thought!) 

Leave the mixed seafood (cooked) and fish (raw, in cubes — try sea bass, grouper, sole, snapper or salmon) marinating with lime juice, finely chopped onion (salad onions or regular), red chilies, yellow pepper and cilantro for between 10 and 20 minutes, then stuff a couple spoonfuls of ceviche into your empanada skins, seal them well and deep fry until golden. The result is an empanada with warm, crispy pastry that contrasts wonderfully with the cool Pisco Sour but both harmonize in citrus, spice, sweetness and freshness. That should get everyone’s tongue tingling for the next course.

Another unmissable South American seafood empanada combo is the Chilean-inspired scallop and cheese empanada. Chile has a beautiful coastline and all along the seafront (especially towards the north) you’ll find empanada kiosks serving these freshly fried or baked empanadas that are just impeccable with coastal Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. I recommend wines from Casablanca, San Antonio, Leyda and Limari regions, and look for wineries like Amaral, Casas del Bosque, Leyda, Matetic and Tabali. The crisp, herbaceous and zesty Sauvignon Blanc pairs wonderfully with the sweet scallops and warm, saline melted cheese for a salty freshness and salivating snack that gives you a little taste of the ocean. Prawn and cheese empanadas also work well with Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, and if you really want to impress your friends try and get hold of some Chilean King Crab which goes a bit better with the rounder and creamier Chilean coastal Chardonnay.

Argentina & Uruguay: Meat Empanadas, Malbec, Torrontes, and Tannat

In Argentina and Uruguay, carne is king. Every dinner plate is dominated by steak, street corners are evocatively fragranced with a waft of asado (BBQ) in the air, and empanadas are almost always stuffed with their beloved cow.

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10 Argentine Winemaker’s to Watch

by AB

Written for the Drinks Business, February 2015

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Argentina has long been known for its lush, ripe Malbec, and there’s no doubt that those wines are still in full swing. However there is a tide of change in the style of not just Malbec, and the new generation of winemakers are at the helm of this emerging direction. Moving away from the continental climate of the flat lands, winemakers and agronomists are seeking higher altitude micro climates in the Andes and new varieties are surfacing (including a new wave of whites). Here are some of the winemakers that are blazing a new trail in Argentina:

Matias MicheliniMatias Michelini (Passionate Wines, Super Uco)

Perhaps the most radical of Argentina’s winemakers, Matias Michelini was fondly known as ‘the green Michelini’ for many years and his colourful winemaking still makes him the compelling anti-hero of the Argentine wine scene. Pioneering a lean style of wine with often electric acidity, Michelini has been at the forefront of Uco Valley winemaking and in particular Gualtallary’s development over the last decade.

Although still consulting to larger projects including Sophenia and Zorzal, it is in his own experimental passion project – Passionate Wines – where he is making waves. A firm believer in biodynamic viticulture, Passionate Wines very much start in the vineyard and almost invariably end in concrete. The ever-growing collection includes an exuberantly aromatic, bone-dry orange wine (Torrontes Brutal), a 40-day co-ferment of Malbec and Cabernet Franc from 8 harvests (Demente), and a Pinot Noir fermented in a large, refurbished oak vat that in a previous life was a dog house. “I take lots of risks when I make wine, and I lose all the time, but it is all part of the game – it is an exquisite exercise. I want to make wines without rules, and without limits.”

Perhaps the only winemaker in the country that has a problem with Argentina’s regulatory board for having too little alcohol in his wines (whereas his neighbours struggle to keep below 15%), Michelini’s belief is that the best balance and expression of the Uco Valley’s mountain wines is through earlier harvests and zero correction in the winery. With minimal intervention and non-mechanised, artisan techniques (his young children are often deployed to crush grapes), Michelini strips away all the smoke from the winemaking process and shows us that the true magic is in the vineyard. Rule-breaking, opinion-splitting and making some of the most original wines to come out of Argentina, Michelini is one to keep your eye on.

 

Sebastian zuccardiSebastian Zuccardi (Zuccardi)

A leading winemaker of the new generation, Sebastian Zuccardi is the tireless Head Winemaker for his winery Bodega Zuccardi and sister winery Santa Julia. Despite managing a team of 7 winemakers and producing over 16 million litres between brands, Zuccardi Jnr has his eye firmly on the details. As one of the forerunners of the micro terroir studies in the Uco Valley and pushing through the GI regions, the new family winery in Altamira has been specially designed to vinify small vineyard lots with 17 amphorae and 62 concrete vats custom designed for the purpose.

One of the most important features in the winery for Zuccardi is the experimentation and research lab where his young team of winemakers and international interns test out new concepts. “It is the kindergarten of the winery,” says Zuccardi, who started the lab over 7 years ago. “It is here where we came up with all of the ideas for the new winery.” Zuccardi’s experiments have led to a sparkling red Bonarda (a variety he champions for Argentina), and unusual varieties such as Ancellota and Caladoc. While he dabbles in different varieties, Zuccardi’s vision for the future is not about variety, but place. “The challenge of my generation is to work in geographic identification. To talk about the Uco Valley is too big, the future of Argentina is in the villages… Malbec is not the important thing, the most important thing is the place, and Malbec is the vehicle to express our region. Burgundy took 800 years, but maybe we will take less.”

Zuccardi is indeed well on his way, and his top wines show an elegant and stylish interpretation of Mendoza’s future. With Zuccardi’s visionary winery opening in less than 6 months, and a new Finca range about to be launched, there is plenty more to see from Sebastian Zuccardi yet. At only 34 years old, he is at the top of his game and not slowing down.

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Five Argentine wines to charm your Valentine’s

by AB

This weekend is February 14th. A date which men see as another date in another month, and most women see as the date of the month. Score some extra points this Valentine’s Day by gifting your lady a beautiful bottle of Argentine wine. Here are five for five very different type of women.

Written for The Vines of Mendoza

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 14.14.47For the butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-my-mouth type: Deseado Dulce Natural, Familia Schroeder

You’ve already made her swoon by bringing her a bottle with ‘desired’ written on it, now pop the cork and let this sweet-talking, sparkling late harvest Torrontes do the work. A fruity, floral, peachy explosion with a moscato-style sweetness, this bubbly is sugar and spice and all things nice for most ladies. If conversation dries out, you can tell her the story about the dinosaur fossil found in the winery’s cellar.

What it says to her: You are my heart’s desire, sweetie pie.

 

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 14.18.07For the down-payment in diamonds type: Boheme, Brut Nature

For the slightly higher maintenance lady in your life try Boheme by Luigi Bosca, one of the most expensive fizzes in South America. Partially fermented in barrel and using traditional Champagne grapes in the champenoise method, this sparkling wine is old world class in a sexy new world bottle. And who knows? You might manage to bring out the boheme in her…

What it says to her: There’s not a peso I wouldn’t spare on you darling.

 

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 14.19.44

For the intellectual type: Finca La Anita, Tocai

If you want to get her a white wine which is totally unique, try this Tocai from Finca La Anita. Tocai Friulano (aka Sauvignon Vert) isn’t planted much in Argentina, and so this uber small production is indeed a rarity: round and structured, this is a deep wine with a crisp finish. Bonus points if your true love’s name is Ana, or Anita.

If you want to say: You are unique, and I know it.

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Top Argentine wines to try for 2015

by AB

As we settle into a New Year and we get ready for the 2015 harvest over the coming months, there are many wines from last harvest or harvests previous only just coming to light. Here’s a rundown of five beautiful wines just making their way to the market…

Super Uco copySuper Uco, Fratello 2012

The Michelini brothers are a tour-de-force in the Uco Valley, and this is their latest creation. Fratello – Italian for brothers – won’t be the same every year, but this sublime first year is anything to go by it will soon be a cult favourite. A super small production of Syrah with a touch of Malbec, this comes from a very special spot in Tupungato where the vines have been left to grow freely without any chemical treatment and the wine is a glorious success: texture, dark fruit, wonderful spice, and finesse. This will be one of the year’s most collectable wines – stock up now!

 

Semillon copyNieto Senetiner, Semillon DOC 2014

Since young winemaker Santiago Mayorga joined the team at Nieto Senetiner there has been a slight shift in the direction of this traditional wine producer focusing on more single-vineyard concepts. One of the results is this excellent value Semillon. Recently launched, this is the only DOC white wine in Argentina and uses a variety that used to be more widespread than Malbec. Although Semillon is still in decline in Argentina, this wine might make some change their mind about the overlooked variety: a floral, orchard-fruit nose with a rich mouth and good body. Super value at $100pesos.

 

Cara Sur copyCara Sur, Criolla 2014

Criolla was the first grape that Spanish settlers brought with them over 500 years ago, without any set classifications it is seen as table grape and completely underrated. While Criolla gets a lot of bad press here, this wine will certainly shake things up. Coming form a very unique vineyard in high altitude Calingasta Valley (in the San Juan district next to Mendoza), this is fabulously easy-to-drink that will change your ideas about Criolla. Fresh, fruity, and rather pretty – drink this chilled and make sure to order two bottles before the limited stock runs out!

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Top 5 wine countries in South America

by AB

Written for the Grape Collective, January 2015

Where else in the world can you find glaciers, jungles, extreme deserts, and high altitude mountains all within one continent? South America is a land of extremes and even though the Spanish introduced wine over 500 years ago, it is still a new discovery to many wine drinkers worldwide. 

Although you might more readily associate the continent with daring bikinis, football madness and the ability to throw a good fiesta, South America is increasingly putting itself on the wine radar for high quality wines at pocket friendly prices with a bold trend towards extreme climates producing exciting wines. 

Visiting the wine regions can combine exotic highlands, stunning beaches, mountain plantations at dizzying heights and gentle sloping hillsides in between. Whether you are going to discover South America’s wines first hand by traveling there, or from behind a bar at home, as the New World continent with the biggest wine production, South America is one to watch!

Argentina: Where Malbec Runs Faster than Gauchos

It may be the biggest wine producer on the continent (and has international swagger as the 6th producer worldwide) but there really is just one variety that everyone associates with Argentina… and accounting for over 30% of the county’s red wine production, it is a correct assumption that Argentina’s lifeblood is Malbec. 

The variety boomed in this dry and dusty cowboy country over a decade ago and is still going strong as the most important variety for the country. Contrary to popular belief though, there is more to Argentina than gauchos, steak and Malbec… You’ll now find a wide range of red, white and sparkling wines in the cosmopolitan bars of Argentina’s cities, and increasingly in cities worldwide.

Argentina’s vineyards are mostly located along the Western spine of the country where the high altitudes offered by the Andes mountains balance out with the abundant sunlight and warm continental climate on the flat plains below. Most of the vineyards are in a rain shadow allowing vines to thrive up and down the country: in the mid west lays Mendoza where you’ll find the juiciest and most generous Malbec as well as ripe and rich Cabernet (both Sauvignon and Franc), jammy Merlot, attractive oaked Chardonnay and soft fruit Sauvignon Blanc; in the north towards Salta and La Rioja you can expect Argentina’s native white grape, Torrontes, to steal the show with its captivating and exuberant jasmine and tropical nose, or try some of the intense high altitude reds; and furthest south is Patagonia, the heartland of Argentine Pinot Noir and cooler varieties.

Budget around $20 to get good value and occasionally spend upwards where you’ll find excellent quality in reds and blends. Don’t miss out on the sparkling wines either – they are another delicious benefit of Argentina’s 500 year-long love affair with vino.

Biggest Surprise – Argentina’s cool Cabernet Franc blends.

Most Comparable To – South Africa or the USA.

If You’re in the Mood For – Wild West and juicy reds.

Phrase You’ll Walk Away Saying – Che, ese Malbec es una joya! (Dude, this Malbec is a gem!)

Chile: The Skinny Country That Is Fat With Diversity


Hot on the heels of Argentina as the second biggest producer, Chile is commercially strong but is geographically isolated from the rest of South America, buffered by its extremities of the Atacama Desert, the freezing cold Pacific Ocean, the high Andes mountains, and a frozen tail of fjords and glaciers. The unique long and thin shape of Chile means that you get a great mélange of climates and landscapes within one country, and certainly within one case of wine. 

The famous Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon with rich cassis and ripe fruits usually comes from the warmer Central Valleys where sunshine and lolling hillsides characterize the zone and produce intense, fruit-bomb wines. This is also where you’ll find some of the country’s best Carmenere: the obscure French grape that became a Chilean champion for its smoked pepper, sweet red fruit and food friendly nature. 

If you head to the Pacific coast, you’ll find refreshing and zesty Sauvignon Blanc, dark and spicy Syrah, elegant Chardonnay and excellent value Pinot Noir from Chile’s cool, coastal regions. There are more cool climates to explore further south in Bio Bio and Maule where you find the country’s oldest vines producing unique Carignan, Pais (or Mission), Malbec and field blends. 

Last but not least, up at the far north of Chile, the star-bright Atacama and Elqui regions – with some of the clearest skies in the world – are producing racy whites and intensely aromatic Syrah.

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A selection of His & Hers wines from Mendoza

by AB

Written for The Vines of Mendoza

While it feels awfully sexist to try and generalize about the tastes of women, and men, we all know that there are certain attributes that make a wine more feminine, or more manly. You might struggle to gift a man a bottle of Rosé in public, or a shy and retiring lady a Methuselah of a rich red blend. Having a little fun with some of these preconceptions, here’s a selection of great wines from Mendoza although never be afraid to break the rules.

For Her

Here is a pick of five wines for the femme fatale of your life… (whether that is your girlfriend, wife, or your mom!)

DownloadCelestina Reginato, Rose de Malbec

If it’s got bubbles and it’s pink, it is pretty much a shoe-in right? Add a beautiful woman on the bottle and you’ve got the perfect lady sparkling wine. It certainly looks good in the bottle and glass, and fortunately these looks are not deceiving… this rose tastes great too! An elegant Malbec from the Uco Valley with the complexity of a traditional method champenoise.

Carmela Benegas, Rosé

With another dashing woman on the bottle, this wine was actually named after one of the Benegas children. As one might say that the daughter is the fruit of a mother’s womb, this wine is the fruit of a mother grape – achieved by ‘sangre’ method (the first, free-running juice from red grapes before they are taken to be made into a more robust red wine). Technical details and tenuous comparisons aside, this is a lovely, fresh rosé made from everyone’s new favorite Argentine variety – Cabernet Franc.

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