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Oktoberfest in Argentina?

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

Yesterday wrapped up the final day of Oktoberfest in Villa General Belgrano (VGB) in the province of Cordoba. While Mendoza obviously touts the fine wines, sometimes it’s nice to take a break for a cold pint. Oktoberfest, also known as La Fiesta Nacional de Cerveza (National Beer Festival), is in VGB is for two weekends every year. The first weekend, September 30th, has a more calm atmosphere as the town gets warmed up for the long holiday weekend. Then the hoards of Argentinians and tourists alike swarm the quaint little German town for beer, beer and more beer.

But, let’s not forget all of the other wonderful aspects of VGB and German culture. There’s the German food, such as Brezn (pretzels), Spätzle (noodles) and all different types of wurst (sausages). There was even beer flavored ice cream. There’s also the traditional German outfits that performers and residents don for this special time of the year. As for performances, there’s pretty much always a dance troupe on stage at the Oktoberfest and if you get there in time, you can see the Oktoberfest queen crowned on the first Friday.

At the festival, everyone buys a beer stein the size of their choice to fill up at the stands. You can even buy a strap to hang the stein by your side. Then comes the difficult decision on what to drink. There are a few large beer companies who sponsor the Oktoberfest, so their beers are obviously readily accessible. However, you can get some great artesanal beers as well. Most of the artesanal beer makers have a blonde (rubia), a red (roja) and a dark beer (negra). I also saw a strawberry beer as well as a few honeys. Antares, as well as Homer Simpson’s Duff beer, were present at the festival. If you want to learn all you can about artesanal beer, there’s a daily tour through one of the breweries on the main avenue.

To get to the Oktoberfest, you can of course drive, but if you’re without a car, you must take a bus from Mendoza to Rio Cuarto and then take a Lep bus from Rio Cuarto to VGB. I, for example, took a seven hour bus to Rio Cuarto and then a three hour Lep bus to Villa General Belgrano. It’s quite a long journey so I would recommend getting a group of friends together and renting a cabin for the weekend.

Jerome Brewery, in El Salto in Potrerillos, also hosted an Oktoberfest celebration this year on October 8th and 9th. More than 500 people attended the celebration this year, just an hour and a half outside the city of Mendoza.

Whether you are celebrating October with a glass of beer or bottle of wine – salud!

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both. A recent college graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

 

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Winemakers Night with Mairena

Friday, October 7th, 2011

 

Monica Blanco, Rudolfo Menissi, Gabriel Blanco, Ricardo Menissi

The Vines of Mendoza hosts Winemaker’s Night every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. so wine aficionados can learn more about the history, techniques and vision of local wineries. Hosted in the outdoor patio tasting room, Argentinians and passing tourists alike can enjoy tasting some of the best local wines with the winemakers themselves. This past Wednesday, Gabriel and Mónica Blanco, who own and produce Mairena wines were our special guests, along with oenologists Rudolfo and Ricardo Menissi.

The Mairena Story: The Blanco Family is a full-fledged family winery. Of Spanish descent, the Blanco family wine production involves three generations, including Gabriel and Mónica and their five sons and daughters. In fact, the winery’s label Mairena comes straight from the family. Mónica Blanco wanted to name her fifth child Mairena, which is actually the name of a small pueblo in Southern Spain near the Sierra Nevadas. However, unlike other countries in which you can name your child whatever you like, Argentina only allows parents to name their child if the name is listed in a “permitted names book.” Unfortunately for the Blancos, Mairena had to be discarded. However, when they were considering the name for the wine label, they decided on Mairena because “they would take care of the wine like a child.”

Although the winery took up the family grape-growing tradition in the 1980s, it wasn’t until 2005 that the family was able to realize their dream of bottling their own wines. Starting with Malbec and Bonarda in 2005, Sauvignon Blanc in 2007, Torrontes in 2009, the family uses all of their own grapes except for the white Torrontes grapes they buy from Cafayate.

Winemaking Process: The family is in the process of constructing their own winery expected to be completed by 2012. All of the fields are located in Ugarteche, Lujan de Cuyo, which borders Valle de Uco, separated only by a hill between Lujan and Tupungato. This proximity gives the Mairena wines similar qualities to wines from Valle de Uco.

Ugarteche has an average height of 970 m, above sea level. The soil is sandy loam and its uneven nature favors isolation, which makes the land and excellent place for planting grapes. Additionally, the micro climate has a wide temperature, reaching 30 degrees Celsius during the day and dropping to 15 degrees Celsius at night. The winery uses a drip irrigation system and anti-hail nets.

Wine Tasting:

Mairena Torrontes 2011: It’s been just two years since the family began producing Torrontes from white wine grapes from Cafayate, Salta. This wine is expressive, explosive and fruity with a pale green and silver color. $38 pesos/$12 US dollars

Mairena Sauvignon Blanc 2011: A lemon-green color,  this Sauvignon is fresh and agreeable in the mouth and has fresh aroma notes of pineapple, grass, and citric fruits. It was noted during the tasting that is has a hint of ruda, which is commonly recognized in Sauvignon Blancs. Ruda is an Argentinean plant with a strong odor. In fact, the family says that it only ripens its Sauvignon Blanc grapes 80% so the wine will not lose its citric notes to this strong scent. With a short finish, this light and lively wine would pair well with sushi, ceviche, cheeses or enjoyed as an aperitif. $38 pesos/$12 US dollars

Mairena Malbec 2010:  A beautiful violet color, this Malbec maintains red fruit and plum primary colors as its complimented with secondary aromas of chocolate, coffee and cinnamon. Very delicate with smooth tannins that fill the mouth. Oak staves are inserted into the wine to create this elegant and feminine Malbec.~$45 pesos/$15 US dollars

Mairena Bonarda 2010: A deep violet characteristic of the Bonarda varietal, this wine has aroma hints of red fruits and blackberries as well as coffee and tobacco. As a single varietal, this Bonarda has lots of potential. $19 US dollars

Mairena Blend Reserve (30% Bonarda, 70% Malbec): When the family began making their own wine in 2005, Gabriel wanted to differentiate his family’s winery by focusing on Bonarda. The Menissi brothers insisted on taking advantage of Argentina’s powerhouse Malbec grape. So they decided to do both. This blend captures the family’s two opening stars with cherry and plum notes from the Malbec and raspberries from the Bonarda. Complex, balanced and pleasant with a slight sweet flavor and mild tannins. $90 pesos/ $39 U.S. dollars

Interesting Fact: Adding to the family bodega concept, Mairena’s two oenologists, Rudolfo and Ricardo Menissi, are brothers.

Winemaker Quotation: “You have to make what the market demands. But you also have to provide high quality,” said Gabriel Blanco.

Winemaker Night at The Vines of Mendoza Tasting Room | 7-9pm every Wednesday | $40 pesos  

 

Posted in Behind the bottle, Experiences, Life in Mendoza, Mendoza Bodegas, Photos, Tasting Notes, Uncategorized, Vines Events | No Comments »


Wine & Tango Festival Wraps Up in Mendoza

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

As quickly as September came and went, so did Mendoza’s Annual Wine and Tango Festival. The event, held September 16-18 and September 23-25, is officially called Tangos por Los Caminos del Vino and explores two of Argentina’s most emblematic passions. It is organized by Bodegas de Argentina, Secretarías de Turismo y Cultura del Gobierno de Mendoza and Great Wine Capitals.

“This festival gives us a chance to showcase Mendoza’s excellent wines, in addition to giving people the opportunity to get out and visit the wineries,” said Luifer Torres, an associate at Bodegas de Argentina, whose company represents and unifies more than 220 Argentinean wineries. ”Our company is proud to support two of Argentina’s most important pastimes.”

On the final weekend of Tangos por Los Caminos del Vino, I had the chance to attend an evening affair at the Hotel Intercontinental Wine Bar, and Norton Winery on the following Sunday morning. It was interesting to compare the two events as they both had unique atmospheres.

Hotel Intercontinental: Dúo Elbi Olalla & Victoria Di Raimondo gave a passionate performance, singing a collection of tango songs while a couple danced. The hotel served guests Kaiken Malbec, one of my favorite wines, and overall, the one-hour event was quite formal. I was very happy to see two strong females not only singing the lead for tango, but also playing the piano, which is somewhat rare in Latino society.

Norton Winery: On a bright Sunday morning, my friends and I headed out to Norton winery in Lujan de Cuyo. The winery started the morning with individual mini-bottle of champagne as they band warmed up and guests sat outside with the beautiful vineyard surrounding us. The affair had more of a feel like a comfortable Sunday brunch–beautiful weather, scenery, people and food. Then the band, Colectivo Tango began to play a more modern style of tango. I stared in amazement as two couples danced on a small stage, gracefully gliding carelessly and seamlessly. The winery also hosted a fashion show to showcase a local designer’s work.

The festival was well worth attending, and one I hope to experience again in the future.

 

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Vines of Mendoza Sensory Experience

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Friends at the Vines' Sensory Experience

Wet earth. Licorice. Mushrooms. Perhaps these aren’t the first aromas you search for in a wine. My family and I recently underwent a “sensory experience” at the Vines of Mendoza. We were led into a private tasting room and guided by sommeliers to try a variety of containers with different scents. While some were easy to identify, such as cinnamon, others were more challenging, like leather or black currant. It was fun passing around the different aromas and trying to guess what is was, but it was also educational. For me, my mind often recalls an aroma within the wine, but can’t put a name to it.

We then smelled and tasted five different local wines:

Montecinco 2009, 100% Malbec: Cedar, spice, blackberry, peppery and floral notes

Urraca Primera Blend 2006, 36% Malbec, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot: Plum, red quince

Pulenta Estate Gran Cabernet Franc 2008: Ripe blackberry, cinnamon, black pepper

Monteviejo Blend 2006, 80% Malbec, 20% Syrah: black cherries, clove, caramel, smoke

Mendel Unus 2008, 70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon: spice box, incense, lavender, earth notes, black currant, blackberry, hint of balsamic

I recently heard the anecdote from a sommelier that when she was a little girl, she was a very picky and precocious child so whenever she ate anything, she had to smell it first. However, little did she know, that her smelling habits would pay off and train her mind to recognize scents in wine later on in life. They say in the wine world, Taste, Taste, Taste. Perhaps we should add, Smell, Smell, Smell. I now find myself smelling everything when I’m cooking: fruits, spices, sweets. It truly heightens your awareness of the flavors that you can actually experience in the wines. Even more interesting are the personal flavors people recognize from their memory. Perhaps a certain floral aroma reminds you of a lavender perfume your mother wore growing up or a specific spice, like cloves, reminds you of Christmas, depending on where you’re from. Everyone’s pallet is different, so what one person may smell or taste in the wine can be different from someone else’s. For example, in the Pulenta Estate Gran Cabernet Franc 2008, I sense an overwhelming scent of fresh green pepper. I couldn’t believe it wasn’t listed as an aroma for the wine. However, it doesn’t mean necessarily that you’re wrong if it’s not listed on the bottle.

Interesting facts on Detecting Aromas:

Of the five senses, smell is the most acute, approximately 1,000 times more sensitive than the sense of taste.

Smell and taste are the chemical senses because their receptors are stimulated by chemical molecules, rather than by energy from light, pressure, or sound.

While smell is the most easily stimulated of the human senses, it is also the most fragile. There is a great variation between individuals in the elements to which they are sensitive. A person’s absolute threshold is the smallest amount of stimulus required to produce a sensation. Once that threshold is reached, unless trained, the individual can only recognize and unconsciously catalog the smell as either “familiar” or “new.”

To date, scientists have cataloged over 17,000 different smells; about 10,000 can be distinguished by humans.

Sources: LaMar, J. (2011, Sept 27). Sensory user’s manual. Retrieved from http://www.winepros.org/wine101/sensory_guide.htm

Happily, with training, concentration, and practice, nearly anyone can learn to dissect and describe complex aromas!

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both. A recent college graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

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Winemakers’ Night with Monte Cinco

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

Monte Cinco Owner Arturo Berdona (left) with Oenologist Marcos Maza (middle) at the Vines of Mendoza’ Winemakers’ Night

Yesterday was officially the first day of spring in Mendoza, as well as Students’ Day. We decided to join the celebration by hosting a Winemakers’ Night on our patio with the boutique family winery Monte Cinco.

Who are they: Monte Cinco as a label started ten years ago with Malbec in the Agrelo region of Lujan de Cuyo. However, the Berdona family has been involved in wine since the beginning of the 1900s when they moved from Viamonte, Italy to South America. First trying to settle in Brazil, the family moved on to Mendoza, Argentina, where they found the right conditions to grow their grapes. Thus, this long family history of winemaking has yielded vines as old as 85 years on their land.

Winemaking Process: The grapes are handpicked April 7-10 in one harvest and stored in 14 kg plastic boxes and then transported and destemmed at the winery. The grapes then go through a double selection process to ensure the best grapes are chosen for Monte Cinco wine. Before being fermented, the grapes go through cold maceration for three to four days. Maceration is the process in which tannins, anthocyanins and flavor compounds are leached from the grapes skins, seeds and stems into the must. This is how red wine gets its color. Cold maceration specifically keeps temperatures low to encourage extraction by water and added sulfur dioxide rather than relying principally on heat and alcohol to act as a solvent. The wines are then fermented in stainless steel tanks and fermented with selected yeasts and then aged in American and French oak barrels. The winemaker mentioned that the winery prefers to use American oak barrels.

Wine Tasting:

Petit Verdot 2007: The wine aged 4 months in oak barrel and 11 months in bottle. An intense violet color (the cold maceration seems to have intensified all of the hues of Monte Cinco’s wines), the Petit Verdot has complex aromas of spices and chocolate with a nice structure and a medium finish.

Malbec 2007: A well-balanced Malbec with an intense red color and violet tones. A very smooth texture with aromas of red fruits, spices and a hint of vanilla and chocolate. I personally preferred the 2007 over the 2009 for its pleasing smooth texture.

Malbec 2009: This wine was rated 92 points by Wine Enthusiast magazine. The magazine describes the wine in its review as “Cedar and spice are the lead aromas, and beyond that there’s blackberry, pepper and floral notes that rain complexity down on the bouquet. The palate is superrich, a bit tannic and deep as night, with black fruit, espresso, syrup and spice flavors. Finishes brawny and long, with toasty richness. Drink now through 2013.”

Interesting Fact:

Monte Cinco has won many awards for its wine including the Grand Gold Medal at the 2008 International Malbec Competition and the 2003 Gold Medal Malbec Award at Vinandino. Because the winery won the Vinandino award on an odd year (2003), the winery only releases wines on odd years to continue the success.

Winemaker Quotation: “Petit Verdot reaches higher quality in Argentina and will one day make history here.”

Learn more about Monte Cinco wines by watching our interview with him in 2009.

 

 

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Llamas at Tapiz

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

On a recent bike & wine trip in Lujan de Cuyo, I had the pleasure of visiting Tapiz winery. In terms of winery tours, Tapiz is one of the less visited wineries, perhaps because its surrounded by big players such as Chandon and Norton. However, in my experience, usually whatever a winery lacks in size, it makes up for in personalized attention. Such was the case at Tapiz when my family and I were treated to a two-hour individual tour around Tapiz’s vineyards and buildings.

Interestingly, Tapiz, or tapestry, used to be owned by American wine mogul Jess Jackson (read: Kendall Jackson). He acquired the winery in 1996, but when Argentina’s economy tanked in 2001, he cashed out of the Mendoza winery business. Today the winery is owned by an Argentinean family that resides in Buenos Aires. The winery also lays claim to Club Tapiz and Casa Zolo, a fine dining restaurant and guesthouse on a historical estate in Maipu, and produces several lines of olive oil.

If you’ve gone on several wine tours, you realize there is somewhat of a pattern in most wine tours: a history of the winery, a tour of the vineyard, a tour of the winemaking facilities and a winetasting session. However, the best bodegas add their own touch of flair to the visit. There are three unique characteristics about this winery tour that stand out in my mind.

First off, I don’t think I’ve ever met a tour guide so enthusiastic about his job. Juan, a native Argentinean who gives tours in English and Spanish, explained to us that he studied tourism throughout college despite protests by family and friends because it was his passion. Juan has now been giving tours at Tapiz for two years and shares a contagious excitement for Tapiz, visitors from abroad and wine in general.

Secondly, the llamas. I still get giddy when I see llamas and this visit was no exception. However, please note that llamas are skiddish animals and will run away if you try to chase or take a photo with them…. Tapiz keeps the llamas for the natural fertilizer, but also have a corporate social responsibility aim for the animals. When the llamas’ hair is sheared, Tapiz will give the hair to the grape pickers, who usually are seasonal workers from Peru and Bolivia, so the women in the family can weave the hair into clothing and then sell their products at Tapiz. Thus, they will have a supplement to their income when they are seasonally unemployed.

Finally, Tapiz does a great wine tasting in which you can compare a wine from the tank to its final product. In our case, we tried a Torrontes, a Sauvignon Blanc and of course, a Malbec. If you’re interested in trying their wines, look for their Tapiz line (within this line, all carry the name Tapiz except their organic wine Spirit of the Andes and their ultrapremium Malbec Black Tears) and Zolo. Visit the winery yourself for 25 pesos or for free if you decide to take a nice wine home for yourself.

With two of Tapiz's leading men: our tour guide Juan and the Zolo man!

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both. A recent college graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

 

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Winery Lunches Compared: Zuccardi vs. Belasco de Baquedano

Monday, September 5th, 2011

I’ll admit that I’ve only had two winery lunches here in Mendoza. It’s not that I wouldn’t love to have more but for most of us who live in Mendoza, it’s a treat rather than a regularity. Also, let me preface this blog post by saying that both Familia Zuccardi and Belasco de Baquedano’s winery lunches are lovely and in many ways, very distinct, so to each their own as to preferences. However, as I plan for family and friends to visit in the upcoming spring, I realize they would have no idea where to start in order to pick the best suited winery lunch for them in the beautiful Mendocinean wine wonderland so here are a few quick hints!

Familia Zuccardi:

Location: The Casa del Visitante, or Visitor’s House, is located in Maipu. To me, this is Familia Zuccardi’s biggest drawback–it’s pretty far away from everything and is quite the trek if you don’t have a car. My friends and I had an interesting experience trying to hail a taxi in Maipu near Uruquiza Street and trying to get there. It must have been siesta because the Maipu-based taxi service we called said it would be 45 minutes until they could come get us…? That said, hire a remise for the day, make a Mendocino friend who’d like to join or sign up for a tour.

Wines: Familia Zuccardi has a ton of wines hailing under different names: Zuccardi, Santa Julia (their most popular wines; a line you’ll find at nearly every restaurant, grocery store, party, etc), Fuzion and Malamado. Interestingly, Malamado is a fortified wine, meaning brandy or liquor is added during the production process to increase alcohol content. Accordingly to their website, this is a technique from the 17th century.

The wines served at lunch are as follows: Santa Julia Varietal, Santa Julia Reserva and Santa Julia Tardio. Rating: 6/10

Atmosphere: Wow! The atmosphere is fantastic at this place–cozy, yet elegant with fantastic views right from your table. It feel likes you’re in a rustic restaurant in the middle of their vineyard, which I guess you sort of are…. Best of all, you can lounge around outside afterwards falling into a food coma or play with friendly dogs who stroll around the estate. Rating: 8/10

Food: I think the food at Zuccardi was more my style than Belasco de Baquedano because the chef doesn’t put on any airs…and you can repeat any plates you enjoy in particular. You start off with meat, onion and cheese empanadas followed by grilled vegetables and salad. Finally, an all you can eat asado (really can’t beat that…) You also get fresh bread served with the Zuccardi line-up of olive oils. Some of the best olive oil I’ve had in Argentina. Dessert and coffee follow the asado, but if you’re truly taking up the Argentinean stylebook, you’ll make the most of the asado and tsk at desserts (okay, a few bites..) 7/10

Value: 200 pesos, or $50/person. Good value, but requires a good amount of planning. 7.5/10

Friends and Family at Navarro

Belasco de Baquedano

Location: Located within the Agrelo section of Lujan de Cuyo, Belasco is within a nice proximity of several other wineries including: To get here directly from the Mendoza city center, you’ll still need to hire a remise, make friends with someone who has a car or hire a tour guide, but at least you’ll be able to visit several other high quality wineries in the same day. 8/10

Wines: Like Zuccardi, Belasco has several lines: Swinto, AR Guentota, Lllama and Rosa. The first two names come from the native Huarpes language of the region, meaning Crow and Cuyo’s soul, respectively. The Llama is a really nice value wine, and with the Rosa, unfortunately, I’ve yet to develop my Rose palate. With the lunch you get a Rose, a Loan (Lllama), ARGuentota, Swinto and Antracito (sweet tardia wine). See photo below for how many glasses were on our table. 8/10

Atmosphere: The atmosphere of Belasco de Baquedano is completely distinct from Zuccardi. A much more modern boutique feel than Zuccardi, the restaurant is on the second floor and overlooks the vineyard. We had the luck of being one of two tables in the place as we went in August during low season in the middle of the week. 6.5/10

Food: A four course lunch including a round of empanadas, fresh bread with tomato and garlic spread, beef tenderloin and a final dessert of orange ice cream with toasted nuts and bitter chocolate mousse. A completely different menu style than the asado lunch at Zuccardi (no all you can eat here) but you will be full to the brim when you walk and quite satisfied. 6.5/10

Value: Similarly priced to Zuccardi’s asado, you get many good wines and a four course meal for approximately 175 pesos. Belasco is much more convenient to stop into than Zuccardi and can be a nice break from the asado if you’ve already indulged several times in the overwhelming quantities of meat an asado entails. 7/10

No lack of wine at either winery lunch!

No matter which you choose, you will not lack good wine!

 

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Wine Education in Mendoza

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

 

Two of the teachers at the Wine Institute at Septima winery--one of the best perks of taking a wine course are the field trips!

So perhaps you’ve made a few visits to the bodegas and realized you’d like to learn a lot more about wine in one of the Great Wine Capitals of the World. Here are a few hints:

Classes: Most short-term classes cover a brief history of wine and Argentine wine regions (class 1), how different wines are made (class 2), a service class covering how differents wines should be served (class 3), pairings (class 4), the proper tasting techniques (class 5) and a final class on distilling (class 6). I think every institutions offers a blind tasting at each class.

Wine Institute: conveniently located at Sarmiento and Belgrano, Wine Institute offers a variety of options in terms of how long classes are, what material is covered in the class, etc. I deferred to this route without much investigation, but I’m really enjoying the laid-back nature of the classes, the extensive knowledge of the teachers and of course, the wine tasting at the end of every class. Sarmiento 786, (0261) 4230909 www.wineinstitute.com.ar

Enoteca: The local government wine foundation also offers one-time courses ($25 pesos) as well as somelier courses, although you really have to contact the Enoteca to stay on top of what their current events are…They also offer an online manual of their lessons. http://www.fondovitivinicola.com.ar/escuelas/index.html enoteca@fondovitivinicola.com.ar / Peltir 611. Ciudad de Mendoza / Tel. 0261- 4295274

EAS (Escuela Argentina de Sommelier): EAS is located at Hipólito Yrigoyen 242 and runs short courses as well as two year sommelier courses.  The Mendoza Sun recently posted a review on their courses. http://www.sommeliers.com.ar/mendoza.php

Educational Experiences

Winemaker’s Night: I’ve blogged on Vines of Mendoza’ Winemaker’s Night before but if you’re just passing through Mendoza and don’t have a lot of time to devote to an actual class, Winemaker’s Night is a nice way to learn about the winemaking process, etc. with the insight of someone who lives and breathes wine every day.

Blending Room: I don’t think it gets much cooler than making your own wine, and the Vines Blending Room lets you do that in one afternoon! Open 3-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday. I’m counting down the days until I make my first wine in the Blending Room on September 13 so check back for a review.

Aroma rooms: Two wineries in Lujan de Cuyo have aroma rooms to help you start training your nose:

1. Belasco de Baquedano 261 153 023 491, www.belascomalbec.com

2. Pulenta, 261 420 0800, www.pulentaestate.com

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both. A recent college graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

 

 

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Brief History of Wine in Argentina!

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

The gates to General San Martin Park in Mendoza

After I started blogging for Vines of Mendoza, I realized how much I had to learn about wine so I took the plunge and signed up for a sommelier course at Wine Institute. It was kind of a whim as I was walking past the door one day and decided to go in and ask for more information and a week later here I am already one lesson in. Look for a blog post later this week on where you can take different wine classes in Mendoza.

Since Argentineans celebrated Dia de San Martin Monday (although it technically is on August 17), I’ll share my latest history lesson on wine in Argentina.

Argentina is the most important country in terms of wine in South America–just last year Argentina exceeded Chile in wine exports. Currently, the order of wine exportation is as follows: Italy, France, Spain, the U.S. and Argentina. No coincidence that a huge amount of the immigrants who came to Argentina were Italian and Spanish, and the famous Malbec comes from France.

The first vines planted in Argentina was in 1557 in the province of Santiago del Estero by Juan Sedron. However, his intentions were pure: the wine was for church mass. Ten years later in 1567, Mendoza was founded and the first vines were planted here sometime between 1569 and 1589. Many of these first inhabitants were Jesuits, who were able to imitate the irrigation systems of the Incas living near the area before them.  A French agronomist named Miguel Aimé Pouget brought a grape you might be familiar with called the Malbec to Mendoza around this time period. However, at this time, quantity was valued over quality in the vineyards and this trend would continue for several hundred years.

Flash forward a few centuries when European immigrants began pouring into the country, mostly from Italy, France and Spain.  With them they brought their skills in the wine trade as well as new grape varieties (many were actually escaping a phylloxera epidemic that was ravaging their vineyards in their homelands). In 1885, a rail system between Mendoza and Buenos Aires was established, partially funded by the Trapiche winery owner Don Tiburcio Benegas who had the foresight to understand that if Argentina’s wine industry was to succeed, it needed to expand its market.

In 1920, Argentina was the eighth richest nation in the world–but then the Great Depression hit, and foreign investment came to a halt. However, for the next 50 years of political and economic turmoil, Argentina’s wine industry would be sustained by the impressive amount of domestic consumption of homegrown cheap, table wine. In 1970, Argentineans were drinking 90 liters per capita versus the U.K and the U.S. who were drinking three and two liters, respectively. Argentineans were drinking 30 times more! Nowadays, Argentina is the third top consumer of wine, drinking 30 liters per capita.

An important shift occurred, however, approximately 20-30 years ago. Argentina shifted from producing cheap, table wine to producing some of the top wines in world. Which is why we can now enjoy the beautiful Andes mountains and sip excellent wines right here in Mendoza!

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both. A recent college graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

Posted in Experiences, Life in Mendoza, Mendoza Bodegas, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »


La Rural: Mendoza’s Most Historical Bodega

Friday, August 19th, 2011

 

August is a month full of history for Mendoza. First of all, August 17 is el dia de San Martin, or the day that Argentina commemorates the death of the most important leader in Argentina’s emancipation from Spain. You can’t find a town in Argentina that doesn’t have a San Martin street. In actuality, he’s not only a national hero in Argentine, but in Chile and Peru as well. General San Martin holds particular importance in Mendoza and the Cuyo region where he was governor, trained his famous “Army of the Andes,” and planned a devisive disinformation campaign to confuse the Spaniards by sending messages on what passageway his army would take through the Andes, allowing the message to fall into enemy hands and then going the opposite way as the message indicated. Not only does Mendoza have several streets named after him (including one of the most important), there’s also Parque de General San Martin (General San Martin Park) and Cerro de la Gloria (Glory Hill dedicated to his army).

Additionally, last weekend marked the beginning of elections and August 16 is University Day for UNCuyo, celebrating its 72nd anniversary. In light of these many historic events and celebrations, I’d like to spotlight one of Mendoza’s most historic wineries: La Rural.

This 100-year-old colonial style bodega is located in Coquimbito, one of Argentina’s oldest viticultural zones. In addition to producing great Argentine wines, La Rural also houses a museum of antique tools and other objects that were used to make wine in Argentina during the nineteenth century. As a result, the winery’s tour is like taking a trip back in time where you can appreciate the labor and sacrifice that went into wine production a century ago.

Today, the winery has a stainless steel tank capacity of ten million liters and uses modern equipment to ferment and preserve its fine red and white wines. Using grapes from its four Mendoza vineyards, La Rural is much more than an old-fashioned curiosity – this thriving bodega exports wines throughout the world and has helped promote increasing demand for Argentine wine among international consumers.

 Address: Montecaseros 2625 – Coquimbito
Phone: (261) 497-2013
Email: museo(at)bodegalarural.com.ar
Website: www.larural.com
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm every 30 mins. / Sunday from 10am to 1pm every 1 hour
Reservations Required: Only for groups over 20

Brands: Rutini, San Felipe, Trumpeter, Pequeña Vasija
Recommended Wines: Rutini label varietals, especially the Rutini Malbec.

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both. A recent college graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

 

 

Posted in Behind the bottle, Experiences, Life in Mendoza, Mendoza Bodegas, Photos, Uncategorized, Vines Events | No Comments »


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