This week we’ve given you lots of news about happenings in Mendoza and at The Vines. The following links will help you stay up to date with the rest of the wine world!
This weeks wine links:
Every Thursday is a pleasure with a new lineup of different Argentine wines. A group of us meet, a mixture of Argentines and Americans with different palates, to decide which wines we like and would be willing to include in our Acequia Wine Club line up and Vines of Mendoza Tasting Room. Mariana, our sommelier, does an amazing job of creating different line ups of similar wines with different price points with increasing intensity and complexity, making our job easier by deciding simply which wines we feel are up to par for The Vines.
Today we tasted 10 different wines ranging in a cost price from $3.33 to $20. We have to take into account not only the wines characteristics now, but also in the future as we are looking for wines to export next spring. The process is long and cumbersome with the different governmental regulations, which is why our online store is the best place to find these small production wines. Today there were a few highlights and it is often interesting to listen to the different characteristics that come out of the tastings and the discussions that ensue. You should probably steer clear of those wines that smell like mushroom soup, formaldehyde, reduced cherry cola but there were also wines with a fresh burst of cherry jolly rancher, mulled cider spices, and fresh crushed black fruit.
One discussion entailed the difference between cacao and cocoa and how each should be utilized in describing a wine, and interestingly enought it seems there is also a cultural aspect to the difference, with the Argentines associating cocoa with Nesquick, who knew??
The array of different varietals is one of the most interesting parts of tasting Argentine wines. Today we tasted 3 Syrahs, 3 Cabernets, and 4 Malbecs. We are a pretty selective crew, yet are all distinctive in our tastes and are always surprised when we have complete agreement for a wine (a must buy then). There was one standout in the bunch today, the Montecinco 2005. Watch for this wine next spring when it should be absolutely amazing! Until next week and a new batch of lovely Argentine Wines. (Its a bit like Argentine Idol for wines.)
by Mariana Onofri
We are back!! Winemaker’s nights are back!
Winemaker’s is one of the most special events we carry out every Wednesday from 7pm to 9am at The Vines of Mendoza Tasting Room. Local wineries are invited to come over and present their wines to a varied and exclusive public of wine lovers. Oenologists and owners have the chance to talk about their history, convictions, goals and dreams! And we have the chance to get to know more and more about this fascinating industry.
After our winter event recess, we came back with VIÑAS DE LUJAN. Carlos Liberal, owner and a person with a vast knowledge, and Mariano Vignone, winemaker of Matura Group, shared with us their passion and experience. VIÑAS DE LUJAN is a small family project that started over 20 years ago. They started growing vines and not long ago they decided to begin in this great challenge of making their own wine.
Their vineyard is located in the foothills of the Andes in Ugarteche and Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo. These areas are known as primary zones for fine grapes. There is an outstanding combination of soil, great thermal amplitude, scarce rainfall and a perfect sunlight.
Carlos introduced us their two lines of wines: LAS LOICAS and INSTINTO.
LAS LOICAS is a special line of wine since it is made from organic grapes. The work done in their vineyards complies with all the techniques and procedures required by official regulations of organic production and of the OIA ( Organización Internacional Agropecuaria), European Norms, IFOAM and NOP norms. They certify the products since they control all the grape growing and wine production processes in order to guarantee the sustainability of the production along time without the use of any chemical product.
In this line we tasted:
LAS LOICAS MALBEC 2007, being released in a couple of months. This is a classic malbec, easy to drink and really pleasant!
LAS LOICAS RESERVA MALBEC 2007, this wine will be released in 8 months after the bottle aging is over. Although this wine was bottled not long ago, it has a really nice roundness that talk very well of polyphenols’ ripeness.
We are happy to be featuring LAS LOICAS RESERVAS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006 in our Autumn Acequia Wine Club. Visit our page www.vinesofmendoza.com
As I mentioned it before we tasted two wines from their line INSTINTOS, made from their vineyard located in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo.
INSTINTO MALBEC RESERVA 2006, a wine already in the market and currently being exported to USA and Europe. Nice nose expression and color intensity with a great balance between the oak and fruit concentration.
INSTINTO CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVA 2006, a nice cab with a lot of ripe black fruit and an interesting spice influence.
We really had a very appealing evening!!
If you are in Mendoza… don’t miss our next winemaker’s night! Ricominciare will be presenting for the first time their wines in Mendoza!!!
The old timers here in Mendoza say that is good luck to plant vines in the rain. If that is true, then new Private Vineyard Estate owners Michelle Paris and the Collins/Williamson group are going to have truly extraordinary vineyards. Michelle flew down from Canada and Nan Williamson from Colorado (who was joined by her son and his family) to plant vines and kick off our first planting of 2008. The weather was challenging — rain and chilly. But Michelle and the Williamsons were tougher! We planted Michelle’s Malbec and the Cab Sauv for Collins/Williamson.
Sarah and Jack planting Cab Sauv
Michelle getting her hands dirty…
Nan Williamson’s celebratory toast with the family.
After the planting they were rewarded with a bonfire, some great Malbecs and of course The Vines asado.
Shocking as it is to realize, it’s mid-September and Thanksgiving is just around the corner! As we get closer to the big date we will of course be recommending our favorite wines for the big T-Day, but in the meantime we’d like to share a great deal with you that we found in our incessant scouring of the web for Argentina related news.
A visit to Argentina (Mendoza, specifically) is never out of season. If anybody is looking to escape from their family this Thanksgiving, you should definitely take a look at this vacation package! There’s not too much pavo around (that’s spanish for turkey), but who needs it when you’ve got the best beef in the world?
Just don’t get caught smuggling in those cranberries…
Argentine Vacation a Deal for Thanksgiving Travelers
by Gwen E. Kirby Sep 12, 2008 (Click to Read article on Argentina’s Travel Homepage)
Thanksgiving is still several months away, but for travelers who want to live theirs up in style there is a new vacation package for the holiday Argentina. According to MSNBC, the vacation package includes several days in Buenos Aires at the Waldorf Hotel in the center of the city. Then, the trip takes you to Mendoza, Argentina’s wine country, where vacationers will enjoy visiting vineyards at the foot of the Andres. For 1,629 dollars, travelers get round trip air fare to and from the United States, to and from Mendoza, hotels for six nights, and breakfast every day. It also includes a wine tour in Mendoza. The departure dates are Oct. 30th, November 13th, and November 27th and the vacation can be booked with Budget Travel.
Here is the first weekly link roundup from your friends at The Vines of Mendoza!
We spend a lot of time searching for news and updates about Argentine wine and the world of wine in general. Here are the ones we’ve found most interesting this week. We hope you enjoy them! (Click on the text to go to full article)
     Note: The Monteagrelo is currently 20% off in our online store along with every malbec we have in stock!
As you know, we try to stay abreast of the wine news, especially that involving Argentina. This Washington Post article gives a fantastic summary of the variety (and quality!) of the wines being produced in Argentina, and more than anything here in Mendoza.
While it’s not news to us that Argentine wine is quickly moving up in the international wine world, it’s always gratifying to read what our fellow lovers of the grape have to say. Here you can learn about Mendoza and the common grape varietals – and we couldn’t have said it better ourselves!
Click on the link below to read the full article at The Washinton Post Online.
By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
South America is on the rise as a wine-producing region, and Argentina is its fastest-rising star. Some of the country’s best wines are achieving startling levels of quality, representing remarkable values.
Argentina is the fifth-largest wine-producing country, behind France, Italy, Spain and the United States. Yet only in the past decade has it shifted its focus from quantity to quality and to producing fine wines for export on the world market, especially to the United States, the largest importer of Argentine wines.
Mendoza is Argentina’s most important wine region, producing about 70 percent of the country’s wine and most of its malbec. Mendoza’s major sub-regions are Lujan de Cuyo, Maipu and the up-and-coming Uco Valley, in the foothills of the Andes. Other leading wine regions include San Juan, La Rioja, Salta, Catamarca and Neuquén. Watch the continuing rise of Patagonia’s “vineyards of the winds” in Rio Negro, Argentina’s southernmost wine region.
Sixty percent of Argentina’s wine exports are reds, and chief among them is malbec, which has become virtually synonymous with Argentine wine. This powerful, tannic varietal has demonstrated a stronger affinity for Argentine terroir than for its own homeland of Bordeaux, where its popularity has been waning. If you’re a fan of big, spicy reds with soft, lush tannins, you can find extraordinary bargains among non-reserve malbecs.
Argentina’s most widely planted white wine grape, torrontes, is experiencing a much-deserved rise in popularity. The best torrontes are reminiscent of Alsatian whites, with fresh, floral aromatics and peachy fruitiness that make them excellent food-pairing wines. If you’re already a fan of Gewuerztraminer, muscat, pinot blanc or Viognier, try torrontes next.
Other grapes that have long been vinified successfully in Argentina include chardonnay, chenin blanc, Moscatel de Alejandria, and native cereza and criolla; and bonarda, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and Italian varietals. And a couple of recent efforts with pinot noir are definitely worth seeking out.
Torrontés
If you’re new to Argentine wines, Karen’s pick offers a great place to start. The 2007 and the just-released 2008 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes ($15) are the work of celebrated winemaker and mother of two Susana Balbo, who pays tribute to her “crios” (or offspring) via the wine’s label, depicting an adult hand enveloping two small hands. While that might suggest wines that aren’t as advanced in style or maturity as those at her reserve level, plenty of loving attention clearly has been given to nurturing the ripe peach flavors and a creamy finish of this one.
In addition to the varietal’s characteristic floral quality, the refreshing 2007 Alta Vista Premium Torrontes ($14) from Salta boasts a lively acidity and more-notable minerality.
Food pairing tips: Sip as an aperitif, with Mexican food (especially guacamole) or with Thai and Vietnamese food (especially chicken and seafood dishes).
Malbec and Malbec Blends
When the occasion calls for red meat, especially off the grill, as during a traditional Argentine barbecue, opt for the 2005 Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec ($18). The wine is aged 12 months in French oak and additionally in the bottle before release; its delectable blueberry and blackberry flavors are balanced by smoky notes.
The 2005 Alta Vista Grand e Reserve Terroir Selection Malbec ($25) won us over with its rich black-fruit flavors and gentle tannins. Over time, the big tannins in the 2006 Susana Balbo Signature Mendoza Malbec ($27), which is blended with 10 percent cabernet sauvignon, quieted to reveal a lip-smacking blackberry finish.
The elegant 2005 Norton Privada ($25; $18 at Total Wine) from Mendoza is a steal for the price. This full-bodied blend features 40 percent malbec plus equal parts merlot and cabernet sauvignon, resulting in a wine of fascinating red berry, dark chocolate and black pepper flavors plus beautifully balanced structure.
Food pairing tips: Drink these wines with all manner of red meats, especially beef and lamb; and with barbecue, cassoulet, hamburgers, and sausage and mushroom pizza.
See complete article here
Pablo and I spent the afternoon yesterday walking the site of the winery with Mario Yanzon, one of our architects designing the project. Though we have been to the site thousands of time, watching Mario and Pablo mark out the buildings and discuss the flow of the winery made it seem much more real.
Meanwhile we are installing thousands of posts every day and we will start planting vineyards for our new owners in just a couple days.
I’ll work on posting weekly updates from the finca.
We at The Vines of Mendoza all love Malbec, and there’s certainly a lot of options to choose from here. We taste through veritable rivers of wine in order select the best for each price and style – this month we hope you’ll join us in indulging our passion for Argentina’s emblematic red grape!
Over the course of the month we will be posting reviews of some of our favorite Malbecs, as well as links to articles by other wine lovers around the world. In true festive style, and to make it a little bit easier for you to celebrate with us, every Malbec in our online store will be 20% off starting tomorrow, September 9.
To jump start Malbec Month, the following link will take you to a recent post by James the Wine Guy about our favorite grape. (Click on the quote to see the full article)
“There is no wine that is as near and dear as Malbec…”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
As the month goes on, please write in with your own thoughts and tasting notes! Let’s get the party started!