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For Argentina, a moment in time: Kirchner & the Census

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

1027

Today, October 27 th,  is a momentous day in the history of Argentina. Two dramatic events have or are taking place. In the news this morning, ex-president and husband of current Argentine president, Nestor Kirchner died from a heart attack in El Calafate at the young age of 60. He has had a huge impact on Argentine politics over the last 7 years and was thought of as a top contender for the 2011 presidential election. Now Cristina will have to reign the country alone, we will have to stay tuned as to the always interesting and sometimes turbulent politics will challenge her and her party. It is said there is now a big hole in Argentine politics now that Nestor is gone.   (photo by Jorge Saenz/File/AP Photo)

Also in the news is the national Argentine Census. Basically the entire country shuts down for 1 day while they take a count. This is an interesting method, maybe more effective than that in the US, where is is taken over the course of 10 months. Everyone is by law required to stay in their house for the Census to come and then ask questions and document your presence. The hours are between 8am and 8pm and there are 2 types of questionnaires. If you live in the city you will be asked a brief 35 questions, whereas if you live in a private gated neighborhood, in the country, the ghetto, etc they will be asking 67 questions. I had the pleasure to engage in this civic duty this morning and the questions were interesting, not sure how much they are going to get from it and/or who created the list of questions. Obviously there are the regular:

first name?
age?
marital status?
do you have a refrigerator, bathroom?
computer, cellular phone?
education?

My favorite though was- Did you work at least 1 hour last week?

Really… what is this question? Nothing about profession, part time, full time, temporary work, employee, own a business… I think those might be more interesting and constructive questions. But, well that is what it was.

So today in Argentina it is both a national holiday in honor of the census as well as a day of mourning as one of their great political leaders passes into the history books.

Posted in In the News, Life in Mendoza | No Comments »


Underground Dining comes to Mendoza- Ituzaingo

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

The concept of underground dining has come to Mendoza in the form of Ituzaingo, the creation of Gonzalo Cuervo. Set in his house, the intimate and artistic space is inviting and perfect for those that are looking for the unusual dining experience, one that is more like a dinner party at a close friend’s than a restaurant. Chef Emiliano whips up small plates that represent cuisine from the different regions of Argentina. Try out a citric pumpkin soup, traditional empandas from Salta and Mendoza, lamb from the south, trout from the east and you can also pick out your own wines to pair with several of the courses.

Gonzalo is the perfect host, his amazing boisterous laugh will immediately put you at ease and he will regale you with anecdotes and the best gossip of Mendoza.The menus change seasonally and there is also the option for events and cooking classes. Make your plans now to visit this “secret gem!”

8 courses with 2 glasses of wine included $180 pesos

Call for reservations or to see if there are any special events during your stay! If you are in Mendoza, they are having a special Sushi night in honor of the national Argentine Census…more information on that tomorrow.

Reservations: 261-562-8667 | cocina@ituzaingoresto.com.ar

Posted in Experiences, In the News, Life in Mendoza | No Comments »


Fiesta Primavera with Bodega Alta Vista

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Spring is officially here in Mendoza! Bodega Alta Vista has kicked off the season with La Fiesta Primavera! They Invited guests to indulge in a warm spring night set at the spectacular winery in Lujan de Cuyo and imbibe their classic and luxurious wines paired with delicious canapes!

I highly recommend hosting your own Primavera party, all you need are their delicious wines and you can add in a fairy costume as well. Don’t worry, Halloween is just around the corner, you can use it as an excuse to pretend you are the Primavera Fairy!

Here are the rundown of wines that you will need to stock up on and if you are planning on visiting Mendoza, make sure to visit the winery.


Pinot Noir
 Chardonnay Sparkling Wine
Method :  Méthode Champenoise
Vinification and ageing : vinified according to a manufacturing method inherited from our French Champagne tradition – a second fermentation in the bottle at a controlled temperature of 13ºC, followed by aging on the lees for 18 months.
Tasting note : attractive salmon-pink color and noticeable brightness. Restless and persistent bubbles. Aromas with a distinct fruity personality in which red fruit prevails, with hints of toasted bread, some caramel, and cream, plus the depth of complexity that results from prolonged contact with the fine lees. On the palate, it is fresh, with good intensity and a persistent and fruity finish.

Chardonnay 
Pinot Noir Sparkling Wine (different blend than the previous one)
Composition : 
Chardonnay / Pinot Noir
Method :  Méthode Champenoise
 
Vinification and ageing : vinified according to a manufacturing method inherited from our French Champagne tradition – a second fermentation in the bottle at a controlled temperature of 13ºC, followed by aging on the lees for 18 months.
Tasting note : Bright yellow. Elegant and delicate perlage with medium persistence. Complex aroma in which white fruit, such as pears, apples and pineapple, prevail along with a  hint of vanilla and pleasant fermentation aromas. On the palate, it is well-balanced, flavoursome and fresh, with interesting toasty notes and hints of peach.

Premium Malbec 2007
Aging : 12 months in barrels made from  French (80%) and American(20%)oak.
Tasting Notes : together with its ruby-red color, this wine has an aroma of very ripe red fruits and spices. On the palate, it is velvety and rounded, with great volume and a lingering presence.

Posted in In the News, Life in Mendoza, Mendoza Bodegas, Tasting Notes | No Comments »


The Vines New Blending Lab- Become a winemaker for the day!

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

BECOME A WINEMAKER FOR THE DAY WITH THE VINES!

The Vines has just finished our new high tech blending lab located in our tasting room in downtown Mendoza! You can become a winemaker for the day with The Vines staff by tasting and blendings wine that were harvested in March 2010 from our Private Vineyard Estates in the Uco Valley. We had special small stainless steel tanks made especially for these wines!

The blending process is one that is critical to the final product and it takes creativity, vision as well as the technical know how to pull it all together. So to offer the ultimate in wine tasting we created the blending lab to help people learn to taste the essences of different varietals and then create a blend that is custom tailored for your tastes. You often don’t realize that just a small percentage of one varietal can greatly influence the entire blend.

Last night we had a blending session with Mariana Onofri, The Vines sommelier, and a couple of our Private Vineyard Estate owners. We tasted through all of the varietals blind, so we had to guess which was Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This is definitely not as easy as it seems, as these wines are still babies and may not be showing their true expression yet. We all debated and had some surprises but then settled down to play with percentages of the different varietals to make our own special blend!

So we went to work with a partner and after a debate, each came up with a proposed blend from the different varietals. Mariana did her mix-a-lot magic and voila, we then tasted through the new blends (again blind) and had to pick out which one was ours!

Luckily both groups picked their own blends, confirming that we all have our own wine tastes, but which are not all the same! We then bottled up the blend and sent them off to dinner to show off their creation to the rest of the group.

Make sure if you are in Mendoza to make a reservation for this super cool tasting experience. Its really not like anything you have experienced and, please, don’t be intimidated, you don’t need to know anything about wine- but you will leave with a whole new appreciation for what winemakers do everyday!

For reservations contact: events@vinesofmendoza.com

Tasting Room hours: Monday through Saturday 3-10 pm.

Posted in In the News, Life in Mendoza | No Comments »


The Vines in L’Amateur de Cigar

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Following a French theme of the day, The Vines was also recently featured in L’Amateur de cigare. It is a great article and for those of you that can speak French, even better! The Vines is going global, buenisimo!

Posted in In the News | No Comments »


Bodega Decero | New Restaurant

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Bodega Decero has now opened their restaurant for visitors to fully indulge in the Argentine wine experience with spectacular views of the Andes and luxurious food and wine pairings. They have partnered with well known Mendocino chef Matías Podestá to create a seasonal menu that is paired with their wines. You can choose from several different options of entradas, “platos principales” and deserts, to suit your fancy. The choices also appeal to vegetarians and those that are feeling the beef hangover and are craving food from the sea.

To whet your appetite we have provided some of the options and some photos to entice you to come and visit. Make sure that you make a reservation, you wouldn’t want to miss this. Open Monday through Saturday from 12pm-3pm, 3 course lunch paired with wines $180 pesos.

Some of their menu options:

empanadas: chorizo sausage, blood sausage, osobuco
Corn cake with creamy goat cheese and proscuitto
A citrus salmon baked with seeds on a bed of vegetable cous cous
Grilled steak with an assortment of fresh grilled vegetables
Pumpkin sorrentinos with a creamy arugula, almond and sun dried tomato sauce

Wines: Finca Decero Malbec 2008, Finca Decero Syrah 2007, Finca Decero Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

To make a reservation for wine tastings or a decadent lunch, please contact:

Ana Inés Musi Senior Wine Educator

T: +54 261 524 4747 int. 12

anaines.musi@decero.com

Posted in In the News, Mendoza Bodegas, Photos | No Comments »


Give it a drive!

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Norton Barrel Select Malbec, the US Open wine

For the first time in history, an Argentine wine has been chosen to participate in the US Open, the most prestigious tennis tournament in the US. From August 30 to September 12, Norton Barrel Select Malbec will be the wine hosting the tournament to be held in Flushing Meadows, New York.

Those who are able to enjoy this major Grand Slam live will be entertained in VIP areas, where players and organizers will be present, with an emblematic wine from our country, such as Norton Barrel Select Malbec….

Read complete article here!

Look for other wine ACES in our online store!

Posted in Behind the bottle, In the News, Mendoza Bodegas | No Comments »


Friday the 13th vs Tuesday the 13th

Friday, August 13th, 2010

Are you Superstitious?

It depends on where you are and what your cultural background is apparently. I forgot what day it was until I checked facebook,  oh trusty facebook, and saw all the status updates talking about Friday the 13th. Basically, I associate Friday the 13th with the motion picture industry and Freddy!

However my curiosity was sparked because here in Argentina, Friday the 13th does not portend bad luck, it is actually Tuesday the 13th when you are not to get married or embark on a boat…ok.

However after a bit of research it is actually really interesting the significance of the number 13 and what days are considered bad luck.

US/Northern European/ Anglo Saxon Countries- Friday the 13th

Spain/Greece/ Latin American countries- Tuesday the 13th

Italy- Friday the 17th (hmm)

Why Tuesday?

This day dates back to the middle ages when on Tuesday May 29, 1453 the city of Constantinople fell, which was a huge blow to potential Christians and since then Tuesday came to symbolize the war with the pagan gods and as such, bad luck. Also Marte, is the god of war and reflects destruction, blood and violence and that one legend states that Tuesday the 13th caused the confusion
of the different languages when constructing the Tower of Babel, thus eradicating the option to have a unified humanity. Serious stuff and if you haven’t caught up recently on your mythology check Wikipedia here.

Trezidavomartiofobia vs triskaidekaphobia?

According to an super informational article in Indy Posted: The fear of Friday the 13th goes back to ancient times. Friday the 13 superstitions are rooted in two separate fears. The fear of the 6th day of the week, and the fear of the number 13. When these two things are combined, you have one seriously unlucky day.

According to National Geographic, Friday the 13th is rooted in a Norse myth. 12 Gods sat down for dinner, when a 13th uninvited guest, Loki arrived. Loki, the god of mischief, convinced Holder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder, the beautiful god of joy and gladness.

Some people also trace Friday the 13th back to the last supper. Again, 13 people sit down to dinner, and one eventually dies. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Christ, is said to be the 13th person to the table.

So basically, don’t have dinner with 13 people tonight.

Another theory about Friday the 13th superstitions, is that 13 is unlucky because it follows 12. 12 is considered by many to be a complete number. 12 months in a year, 12 zodiac signs, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus.

Friday the 13th Superstitions

If you have dinner with 13 people, one of those people will die within a year.

If you cut your hair on Friday the 13th, someone you love will die within a year.

A child born on Friday the 13th will be unlucky for life.

If a funeral procession passes you on Friday the 13th, you will be the next to die.

According to the Huffington Post, many Friday the 13th Superstitions still exist. Hospitals and hotels don’t usually have 13th floors. Airplanes don’t usually have a 13th gate or a 13th aisle. Some cities will skip over 13th avenues. And if you have 13 letters in your name, like Charles Manson, you’re bound to have the devil’s luck.

Good luck today in the Northern Hemispheres- here in Argentina we have a year, until September 2011 when we will experience the same phenomenon.

Posted in In the News, Life in Mendoza | No Comments »


Argentine Wines & The Vines of Mendoza are capturing the Brazilian Market

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

Malbec is the craze in the US, with good reason, but now the Brazilian market is rapidly gaining ground and looking to the south to provide wines for its booming restaurant and wine scene. In the news, in addition to all of the articles about US consumption, Brazil has become captivated with Malbec and Argentine wines. For example, just in the last week these articles have profiled the significant increase in exports as well as dollar value which can be attributed to several different trends including a strong real, an increasing middle class, and attention to lifestyle pursuits.

Strong Brazilian Economy

An article in Bloomberg.com notes that the rise in the Brazilian real is making the purchasing power easier for Brazilians to stock up on top Argentine wines. They also mention that the increase in popularity is due to a combination of economic factors, the quality to price ratio, Malbec led growth, and lifestyle choices.

“Exports to South America’s most-populous country rose 49 percent in the first five months of this year from a year earlier to a record $15.8 million, according to a July report from Caucasia Wine Thinking, a research company based in Mendoza, the center of Argentina’s wine region. Sales to the U.S., the biggest importer, rose 19 percent to $97 million over the same period.”

They also mention The Vines of Mendoza as a way to procure their own wine.

At Vines of Mendoza, a company that sells and manages vineyards for private buyers in the Uco Valley, staff are studying Portuguese, Brazil’s official language, after the number of Brazilians visiting its two tasting rooms rose three- fold from 2008, company president Michael Evans said. Five of the company’s 79 landowners are from Brazil, up from one a year ago, he said.

“It’s become our second most important market in just the last year,” Evans said via e-mail. “We are seeing a huge influx of Brazilians.”

Brazil is the 3rd Largest Market for Argentine Wines

Behind the US and Canada, Brazil is rapidly consuming and importing more and more Argentine wines.

An Article in Wine Sur states: ” As regards Brazil, the third market in importance, exports have increased 49.1% in value and 23.5% in volume.

Another article in Wine Sur notes that the trend “is closely related to the fact that “Brazilian consumers are becoming more sophisticated and enjoy pairing their food with good wines. They look for greater complexity, always appreciating the fruit.”

Private Vineyard Estates featured in the Brazilian Equivalent of the Wall Street Journal

The newspaper Jornal Valor of Sao Paulo featured The Vines of Mendoza’s Private Vineyard Estates yesterday appealing to wine enthusiasts, businessmen and investors.  There is an increasing focus on the Argentine market for imports, investment, and lifestyle adventures. More and more wine enthusiasts are also hoping to make their vineyard dreams come to fruition. We have amongst our international set of owners, many Brazilians who visit frequently to check on their vineyards and wines. Over the last year we have seen increased interest from this market segment as owners would also like to increase the quality of Argentine Wines that are available in the Brazilian market.

Posted in In the News, Private Vineyard Estates | 1 Comment »


The Vines gets a jump on Robert Parker- Bodega El Porvenir

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

We found Bodega El Porvenir‘s wines through our weekly blind tastings last year and I remember tasting through the wines and thinking what great quality, concentration and flavors in a wide range of varietals.

With our group of tasters that consists of around 7 people, we were unanimous with our approval of these wines- this almost never happens! We have a few wineries that fit that profile, where we seem to love all the wines that they make, and El Porvenir is definitely one of them.

Robert Parker also apparently agrees with us!

He recently rated several of their wines with 90 points and above.

•    Laborum Syrah 2005 – 91 points – Drink from 2011 – 2020
•    Laborum Tannat 2005 – 91+ points – Drink from 2014 – 2025
•    Laborum Malbec 2004 – 91+ points – Drink from 2007 – 2025
•    Laborum Malbec 2005 – 90 points – Drink from 2011 – 2020
•    Laborum Malbec – Cabernet 2005 – 90 points – Drink from 2011 – 2018

Check out The Vines online wine shop where we have the Tannat and the Syrah  as well as their amazing blend named Amauta which at $36 is a steal. Also next week we will be introducing their Malbec and Torrontes so make sure you try all of their wines- you won’t be disappointed!

Salta and Cafayate

Salta, and Cafayate in particular, is an amazing place to visit- its a mixture between cactus and vineyards, desolate vistas and color soaked rocks. Located at 1750 meters, or 5,740 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest altitude vineyard terroirs in the world!

El Porvenir currently has 192 acres of their own vineyards, planted with the utmost care and divided into two estates: Río Seco and El Retiro.

The climatic characteristics of the zone of Cafayate are perfect for the development of high-level viticulture. With winemaker Luis Asmet and consulting winemaker Paul Hobbs, they are able to extract the best of what Salta has to offer.

The deep, sandy soil, poor and without limiting topsoils, gives a perfect base for cultivating vines and due to the altitude of the zone, the day-night difference (thermal amplitude) is 15- 18ºC (59-64ºF) during the vegetative cycle of the vine. This translates into a notable difference in the polyphenols in the wine compared to lower altitude zones, giving wines with better structure and color, more suited for oak aging and for the later storage and favorable evolution in the bottle.

In addition to at least 350 days of brilliant sunlight an average yearly rainfall of around only 120 millimeters and the absence of hail, it is one of Argentina’s top wine growing regions.

Visit Bodega El Porvenir

If you get the chance make sure that you stop by the winery in Cafayate- it is centrally located in town, which is an amazing experience in itself, and they offer personalized attention to learn more about their wines and the region. They offer personalized activities in which you can choose what you’d like to do. This could include touring the vineyards, winemaker-guided tastings, a typical regional lunch, horseback riding in the vineyards, a carriage ride, or a private appointment to buy wine direct in our cave.

Reservations should be made in advance by emailing tastingday@bodegaselporvenir.com or calling the winery.

Posted in In the News, Mendoza Bodegas | No Comments »


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