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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 »


Pulenta Estate: Best Tour Guide

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

 ”Hacer un gran vino es un acto de generosidad, de pensar siempre en el otro que lo degustará. Nuestra misión es producir series limitadas de grandes vinos, elaborados con orgullosamente hechos en Argentina.” (To make a great wine is an act of generosity, to be thinking always in how the wine will taste to another. Our mission is to proudly produce a series of limited fine wines here in Argentina.)

It’s always such a treat whenever anyone comes to visit because it means it’s time to visit the wineries. This time around was no exception and visiting the wineries at this time of the year is especially nice because they’re not very busy and you get most individualized attention. Do wear a coat for the chilly cement cellars.

Anyhow, after visiting Pulenta Estate today, I had to write something up because of the very thorough explanations we received from our tour guide, Soledad. Sometimes when visiting wineries, the tour guides assume you already know as much as they do and only tell a few unique characteristics about their own winery. However, even after arriving a bit late (Argentinean time, right?), we got a rundown start to finish on how wine is made in general and the special characteristics of Mendoza’s wine region.  

Pulenta is a medium-sized bodega located in Alta Agrelo in Lujan de Cuyo. The winery is dedicated to only producing a limited amount of fine wines so they only select a portion of their grapes for their wines and sell the rest to other wineries (for example, they sell some of their grapes to Chandon for their sparkling wine). The Pulenta family has been involved in wineries for three generations and used to own Trapiche winery before they sold it within the last decade and then opened Pulenta in 2002. Antonio Pulenta is 93 years old and credits his longevity to lifelong wine drinking. If you’d like to try their wines beforehand, their lines are (from lowest to highest): La Flor, Pulenta Estate  and Pulenta Gran Corte.  The visit ranges from 30-60 pesos, depending on how many wines you’d like to taste.

http://www.pulentaestate.com

 

Posted in Behind the bottle, Experiences, Life in Mendoza, Mendoza Bodegas, Photos, Private Vineyard Estates, Tasting Notes, Uncategorized | No Comments »


Listen to the Conference Call: “Argentine Wines in the EuropeanMarket”

Friday, August 12th, 2011

 


“Argentine Wine Sales and Trends in the European Market“ conference call was hosted on August 10th, 2011 by Michael Evans and Pablo Giménez Riili from The Vines of Mendoza, along with Eduardo Pulenta of renowned Bodega Pulenta Estate, Mauricio Llaver of Revista Punto a Punto and Andrew Maidment, PR manager for Wines of Argentina in Europe.

From left to right: (bottom) Mauricio Llaver, Eduardo Pulenta | (top) Michael Evans, Pablo Gimenez Riili

Mauricio Llaver is a Mendoza-based journalist specialized in Economics and Wine Industry. He has a 20-years career and has been Fellow of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE). He is bussines-magazine Punto a Punto’s publisher and has radio columns and programs mainly devoted to wine. He also runs his web site
www.mauriciollaver.com and has covered Vinexpo’s last two editions (2009/11).

Eduardo Pulenta is the export manager for Bodega Pulenta Estate. With a winemaking history dating back to 1914,  Eduardo and Hugo Pulenta decided to carry on the family tradition with a focus on high quality wines with passion and dedication and in 2001 founded Pulenta Estate.  They now export around the world and have one of the best reputation and highest quality wines found in Mendoza.

Andrew Maidment runs the European division of Wines of Argentina – the trade body that manages the promotion of Argentine wines in the exports markets. His primary role is to develop marketing strategies for ‘Brand Argentina’ tailored specifically to each country, with the aim of raising the awareness of Argentina’s wines amongst both wine trade professionals and the end consumer.

Activities include: developing large scale ‘on’ and ‘off-trade’ promotions, wine tasting events (trade and consumer), obtaining positive and sustained press presence, advertising, product placement and the organization and planning of trips to Argentina for key individuals or businesses.

Wines of Argentina currently has approximately 250 member wineries.

 







Posted in Experiences, Mendoza Bodegas, Podcasts, Vines Events | No Comments »


Vinos y Tapas Night at the Park Hyatt

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect about the Vinos y Tapas at The Vines Bar and Vinoteca at the Park Hyatt. It can be  intimidating enough mingling at social events without factoring in the language barrier.

HOWEVER, last Thursday night was quite a pleasant surprise. My boyfriend and I walked in fashionably late at 8:15 (yes, very early by Argentine standards) and grabbed a table strategically situated equidistant between the kitchen and the bar. If I had arrived slightly earlier, I would’ve tried to snag the couch (I love how Argentina has incorporated the sofa into the bar atmosphere) and if it were slightly warmer, the beautifully lit outside patio.

To dispel any misconceptions you might have, let me give you my take on the event.

1. The event is classy, but no cocktail attire required. I know that especially when I’m traveling, clothing choices are limited, but don’t miss the event just because you didn’t bring your heels. Jeans and a nice top will suffice.

2. There’s a mix of people from all different countries and all different backgrounds–everyone from expats who’ve lived in Mendoza for years to backpackers just passing through so no need to feel self-conscious if you don’t speak much Spanish. 3. The atmosphere is very relaxed. If you feel like mingling with other people, there are plenty of people around at the bar or outside ready to swap stories. If you’ve had a long day and just feel like relaxing with your glass of wine and tapas, that’s fine too.  4. And finally, tapas can mean many things. In the case of the Park Hyatt, it means a variety of delicious and hearty tapas being served by waiters without end. Be sure not to make dinner plans for afterwards as you will definitely be full. Waiters will serve you to your heart’s content.

To give you an idea of the menu:

-2 glasses of wine from Bodega Catena Zapata

-Mushroom and chicken quesadillas

-Lentil soup

-Veal brochette

-Cheese and apricot on toasted bread

-Parmesan cheese biscuits

I left at 10 p.m. since I was leaving for Peru the next day, but the waiters were still circulating and guests were still happily chatting, eating and drinking at their leisure. A great idea and value (only 55 pesos) for your Thursday night!

Posted in Experiences, Life in Mendoza, Mendoza Bodegas, Photos, Vines Events | No Comments »


A Peek into the History of Argentine Wine – as Paul Hobbs Tells It

Friday, July 15th, 2011

Last Friday I had the pleasure of sharing a special dinner with Paul Hobbs, one of the best known American winemakers.  Paul owns, in partnership with two Argentine winemakers – Luis Barraud and Andrea Marchiori – the COBOS winery in Mendoza.

The Cobos wines were born in 1998, but Paul’s first encounter with Argentine wines was much earlier.  Paul was brought to Argentina by Nicolas Catena in the 1980s to make Chardonnay.  He came to Argentina during the time when production was huge, but Argentina was still an internationally unknown wine country.  Historically, Argentine winemakers were more interested in producing quantity rather than quality, with the country consuming all the wine it produced.

Paul remembers that the first winery he visited was La Esmeralda, owned by the Catena family, located in the east of Mendoza Province, a region that still concentrates in high production of grapes. His immediate impression of Argentine wines was not very inspiring.  “Those wines were horrible”, he says, “and they were supposed to be the best wines in Argentina!”  However, he continues, that when he visited the vineyards, the quality of the fruit surprised him – especially that of a small, berry-sized cluster which was extremely tasty. This grape was named Malbec or the French grape among local growers.

Paul says “there was a whole disconnect between the vineyards and the winery which created the problem in obtaining quality.”  Even though he was hired to make Chardonnay, he was given the freedom to experiment with other grapes, and so he did.  He could see the potential of the terroir, but there were some viticultural practices that need to be modified.  Most vineyards in Mendoza were trained in low trellis systems or parrales (pergolas), and were irrigated using the traditional system of furrows, or by flood. Paul says “I asked them just one thing: let’s water less so we can obtain a better concentration and therefore smaller berries, and please don’t water just before picking the grapes!”

Paul was also able to test the potential of the grapes by using new French barrels for aging, made by the Taraunsaud Tonnellerie, who wanted to enter the market and gave him 10 barrels to play with.  This was the beginning of Paul’s experimentation with the unknown Malbec grape, which really captivated him.

Of course he made the Chardonnay – Alamos Chardonnay – which became the first wine to be imported into the US by the Catena family.  But this was also the beginning of the unique grape that nowadays makes Catena wines so important: MALBEC.

The last wine to be poured at this wonderful dinner last Friday evening was a COBOS MALBEC 2009.  It was the perfect way of concluding that his first impression of the grape was absolutely correct: IT’S AMAZING !

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The New Architectural Wine Tour in Mendoza

Monday, July 11th, 2011

 

 

BORMIDA AND YANZON

Bormida and Yanzon are the premier architects in Mendoza, creating iconic modern wineries, each with a distinctive personality and a work of art in its own right. They are also The Vines favored architect, having designed not only our Tasting Room, Vinoteca & Winebar in the Park Hyatt, The Vines Bodega, but also The Vines Resort & Spa which is scheduled to be open in 2012!!

The guide consists of 14 wineries you are able to tour the different wine regions of Maipu, Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley in Mendoza, tasting the best the region has to offer.  As art and architecture often go hand in hand with wine, you are now able to satisfy all of our senses with beauty, food and wine, as most of these world class wineries offer in-house restaurants.

Click here to download the new Wine Architechture Guide from Bormida y Yanzon

So off you go, print your map, hire a car and hit the wine roads for a fun day of art, architecture and wine!

The bodegas included are:

1. Navarro Correas -This modern winery is located only 10 kilometers from downtown Mendoza and offers both warmth and the best of modern technology. The architecture is such that it is meant to accentuate the landscape and the foothills of the Andes that are close in proximity. Descend into their subterranean cellar that houses 5,500 barrels with impressive tasting rooms and reception.

2. Nieto Senetiner – Founded in 1888 when Italian immigrants established the first vineyards in Lujan de Cuyo. The winery was developed by different families that built it with the architecture that can be seen today. In 1969, the Nieto Senetiner family acquired the winery and implemented modern technology and improvements for making high end wines. They now produce still witness that include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Syrah as well as sparkling wines.

3. Vistalba – A descendant of one of Argentina’s most prominent winemaking families, Carlos Pulenta made his name as the president of the Salentein winery. In 2003, Pulenta ventured out on his own to create a cutting-edge winery that uses every technological advancement available to produce wines of exceptional quality.

4. La Bourgogne – One of the premier restaurants in Mendoza, La Bourgogne with famed chef Jean-Paul Bondoux, he creates menus utilizing fresh local ingredients for regionally authentic dishes in a laid back yet sophisticated atmosphere.

5. Dante Robino – Dante Robino was born in 1885 in Canelli, a small town in northwest Italy’s Piemonte Region. He immigrated to Argentina and in 1920 established the Dante Robino winery in Lujan de Cuyo. Now the Squassini family owns and operates this winery since 1982, combining technology and modern winemaking techniques with sustainable farming methods.

6. Norton – One of Argentina’s leading and most historic wineries, it was founded in 1895 by English engineer Edmund James Palmer Norton, who was building the railroad between Mendoza and Chile. In 1991 Michael Halstrick revamped the winery for modern growth and development and was awarded Best Wine Producer of the Year in 2004 by La Nación and in 2006 Wine Spectator named it as one of the top 20 wineries in the world.

7. Septima – In addition to an impressive view of the Andes, the Séptima winery’s original architecture — which showcases the Huarpe Indian “pirca” stone-laying technique — makes this Mendoza bodega a noteworthy stop.

8. Dolium – The word “dolium” is Latin for amphora, the distinctive bottles that the classical Greeks and Romans used to store wine. Like the Romans, who kept wines underground at a constant temperature throughout the year, Dolium is the first underground winery in Argentina to combine such ancient traditions with modern technology. Under the direction of Mario Giadorou, a mechanical engineer with a distinguished background in private industry before turning his attention to the production of fine wine in 1997, this high tech and state of art winery was established.

9. Pulenta Estate – Brother to Carlos Pulenta, Eduardo Pulenta has up’ed the anty with his cutting edge winery that eminates both casual elegance and high technology. The beautiful concrete construction can be seen on the informative tour and is followed by an impressive tasting. This is one of our favorite Mendoza producers- we’ve never met a Pulenta Estate wine that we didn’t like.

10. Atamisque – The Bodega Atamisque was founded by a french couple John and Chantal de Monceau on a historic farming estancia, building a winery on the property in honor of Chantals’ grandfather, who was a winemaker in Burgundy, France. TAking all of the elements of nature as seen in the architecture of the winery as well as in the wines, you can visit this elegant and high tech winery situated amongst natures most beautiful elements.

11. Salentein – Situated in the middle of 455 hectares of vineyards below the eastern slopes of the Andes, Salentein is a massive, concrete and steel harbinger of the future of Argentine wine. With annual production exceeding 1 million bottles, the winery is known for classical varietals, old vine preservation, and European production methods that yield world-class wines.

12. Killka – Killka was designed as a cultural space where the visitor can experience everything that is related to viticulture as well as enjoy an extensive collection of modern art from Argentina and Holland. This space unites wine and art in an architectural space uniquely created for this very experience.

13. Diamandes – In 2005, the Bonnie, proprietors of Château Malartic-Lagravière (Grand Cru Classé de Graves) and Château Gazin Rocquencourt (Pessac- Léognan) decided to broaden their horizons and now have 130 hectáreas with their first harvest in 2007.
The winery was designed by prestigious local architects Bormida and Yanzon and recently won best winery architecture for the contest “Best of Wine Tourism in 2011″ organized by Great Wine Capitals.

14. O’Fournier – Spanish company O Fournier built this temple to gravity-only winemaking in homage to its resident winemaker. It is worth the trip to Valle de Uco to see this marvel of architecture and technology and to taste award-winning Tempranillo blends.
The winery has a capacity of 600,000 litres in stainless steel, oak and cement housed some of the most unique architecture in the Mendoza province.

Posted in Experiences, Life in Mendoza, Mendoza Bodegas | No Comments »


Winery of the Month: Las Perdices!

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

This month we’re featuring Bodega Las Perdices, a family owned winery in the Lujan de Cuyo. In 1953, Juan Munoz Lopez moved to Mendoza with his family from Andelucia, Spain. Their dream of planting vines and making Argentine wine began from scratch, in a rural area of Mendoza.  On the land that the Lopez family purchased, families of partridges (“perdices”) roamed, and were often found in groups of three, hence the trio of partridges on the label. From vineyards at 1,030 meters above sea level, Las Perdices produces small batch wines that show varietal typicity and express terroir.  I recently stopped into the Vines of Mendoza tasting room to check out some of the bottles that are part of this month’s Winery of the Month promotion!

2010 Las Perdices Pinot Grigio

Pale straw color with green hints, this refreshing white opens with bright citrus aromas of lemon peel and lime with notes of white flower. On the palate, the wine is lively and lemony with wet stone minerality and a pleasant, clean finish. The perfect hot weather wine and a great pairing with fresh shellfish and citrus.

2009 Las Perdices Reserva Pinot Noir

A lovely pale violet color with ruby highlights, this velvety Pinot is all wild strawberry, vanilla, and dried rose petal on the nose. With sweet, soft tannins on the palate, flavors of black cherry, wet earth, black pepper, and baking spices integrate nicely. A pretty Pinot.

2008 Las Perdices Reserva Bonarda

Intensely concentrated, deep violet color with enticing aromas of black fruit, clove, and smoke.  Full-bodied and spicy on the palate, more juicy blackberries come through with black and red pepper, coffee, and toast. A lovely red to sip slowly, letting the wine evolve in the glass over time.

2009 Las Perdices Cabernet

Beautiful garnet red color with bright ruby tints.  Sweet cassis aromas, red fruit, and vanilla abound on the nose.  Savory on the palate, with cedar, earth, fresh herbs and dark berry fruits, this Cabernet has firm tannins and a long, chocolatey finish. Perfect for a juicy steak.

Also don’t miss Las Perdices’ icon wine, Tinamu. With only 4,000 bottles produced, this blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Tannat is powerful and complex, a nice treat for that special occasion.  This wine recently won a gold medal in the Argentina Wine Awards. To celebrate Las Perdices this month, you can buy a case in out online store for just $155 USD (normally $135 USD).  So this month is a great time to get to know this small but impressive Mendoza winery!

Posted in Mendoza Bodegas, Promotions, Tasting Notes | No Comments »


Classical Music and Wine Make a Perfect Pairing

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

For the past two weeks Mendoza has gone classy, with bodegas and orchestras teaming up to create memorable evenings of good wine and gorgeous music.  The festival is called Festival Musica Clasica Por Los Caminos del Vino and features classical music concerts in venues throughout the city as well as several events in local bodegas. Last Wednesday I was pleased to attend part of the series at Teatro Independencia.  Presenting a program of interpretations of composers Scriabin, Liszt, Smetana, and Glinka, the Symphonic Orchestra of the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo enchanted the audience for two hours. A highlight of the show included the impressive Korean pianist Liza Chung, who seemed to play the score with her entire being.

This weekend wraps up the final events of the series in and around Mendoza, with concerts today at Clos de los Siete and the Wine Museum in Maipu.  I would highly recommend treating yourself to a concert or two this weekend!

Up coming concerts include:

Tonight

20.00 Lázaro Mendolas, quinteto. Pablo Grosman, Lucas Altamore (violines) Mauro Marquet (viola), Noelia Pavez  (cello),  Juan Lázaro Mendolas (quena). Obras de Lázaro Mendolas, Olmos, Molina, Caba y García. Museo del Vino (Maipú).

20.00 Trio Ar.Co. Dora De Marinis, (piano), Marianna Kononenko (cello-Rusia). Tatiana Tchijova (violín). Trío op 50, Tcahaikowky. Casa Burgos (San Rafael).

20.00 Duo Violín y Piano. Jaume Llinares Giner – Anais Crestin. Obras de Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikowsky.Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno(Plaza Independencia).

20:30 Cuarteto Numen. Obras de: Glazunov, Bragato, Matos Rodríguez. Capilla Patrimonial de Malargue.

21.30 Concierto de la Orquesta Filarmónica de Mendoza. Coro Universitario: Dir.: Silvana Vallesi. Solistas: Soledad de la Rosa (Soprano) – Gloria López, Contralto, Cristian Mella, tenor, bajo. Dirección General: Ligia Amadio. Obra: Réquiem en re menor K 626. Teatro Independencia.

Saturday

11.30 Dúo Soledad de la Rosa – Anais Crestin. Obras Italianas. Bodegas Salentein (Tupungato)

12.00 Tangastor. Obras de Astor Piazzolla. Bodega Dominios del Plata (Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo).

13.30 Cuarteto de Cuerdas Gianneo – Buenos Aires. Obras de: Piazzolla, Gianneo, Dvorak. Bodegas Atamisque (Tupungato).

17.00 Trío de Cuerdas Stephanie Boutonnier,violín, Mariana Kononenko, cello, Dimitry Kvrivishvili, viola. Programa de Bach : Aria, Bodin de Boismortier: Sonate, Mozart: Rondo del concierto en Sol mayor para violín, Saint Saens:Danse Macabre, Massenet: Elegie. Bodega Lurton (Vista Flores, Tunuyán).

17.00 Mariana Rodríguez Rial (canto), Sebastián Zavala (órgano), Ancelma Rosales (oboe). Música  barroca. Bodega Dante Robino.

18.00 Ciclo de Piano en la Capilla. Dúo de flauta y piano. Nicolás Ojeda – José Luis López Morán (Piano). Obras de Beethoven, Guastavino, Scarlatti, Liszt. Auditorio Patrimonial de Cámara.

18.00 Grupo Experimental Amicana. Música sacra contemporánea: Obras de: Gallus, Torrejon y Velazco, Dávila, Moruja, Duruflée y Busto. Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Malargüe.

19.00 Ciclo de Guitarras en la Biblioteca. Dúo Mano a Mano. Federio Tomba – Adrián Bassi: Obras de Martin, Pujol, Gnatalli. Biblioteca Pública General San Martín.

19.00 Ensamble L’Alto. Director: Fernando Giunta. Obras de Leopold Mozart, Baston, Hassenver, Telemann. Museo Fader (Luján de Cuyo).

20.00 Camerata Cordoba Nueva. Obras: “Las cuatro estaciones”, Vivaldi. Bodega Binchi (San Rafael).

20.00 Cuarteto Encore. Obras de : Hindemith, Brahmas. Bodegas Faraó (General Alvear).

20.00 Compañía Danza Teatro El Arbol. Dir.: Vilma Rúpolo. Aria Madres- Tras los Cristales. ECA.

20.00 Duo violoncello y piano.Fernando Gentile (Violoncello), Laura Brunetti (Piano) (Rosario).Obras de Brahms, Lasala, Juan José Castro. MMAMM (Plaza Independencia).

20.00 Violetta Club. Bodegas San Huberto (Guardia Vieja 1100-Vistalba-Luán de Cuyo).

21.00 Grupo Zeffiro y Jimena Semiz. Bodega Fantelli (Retamo s/n, Santa Rosa).

21.30 Gala de Pianistas. Homenaje a Liszt. Leonardo Gell (Cuba), Marcelo Balat (Buenos Aires), Analía Marigliano (Mendoza). Obras de Bach –Busoni, Brahms, Liszt, Beethoven, López Gavilán, Chopin. Teatro Independencia.

Sunday

11.00 Cuarteto Ziklus.Obras de : Mozart, Piazzolla. Bodegas O. Faurnier (San Carlos).

12.00 Dúo de Canto y Piano. Mariana Rodríguez (soprano) y Tatiana Tackmanova (Piano). Dúo de Flauta y Piano Adriano Calcagno (flauta) – Andrea Hoz (Piano). Obras de Mozart, Bellini, Dvorak, Puccini, Vivaldi, Liebermann. Sala Elina Alba.

18.00 Ciclo de Piano en la Capilla. Duo de piano a cuatro mano. sAna Inés Aguirre – Javier  Villegas (San Juan)Obras de Pompeyo Camps, Donostia, Brahms, Poulenc, Ravel. Auditorio Patrimonial de Cámara.

19.00 Ciclo de Guitarras en la Biblioteca. Federico Tomba- guitarra. Obras de Ponce, Torroba, Sinesi, Pujol. Biblioteca Pública General San Martín.

21.30 Megaconcierto Clausura del Festival. Artistas locales e invitados en la velada de despedida. Teatro Independencia.

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


For the Love of Terroir

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

I recently hosted a tasting of Malbecs from different terroirs for local industry wine nerds. Of course everyone knows that Mendoza is the region in Argentina for Malbec but we wanted to explore how Malbecs varied region to region within Mendoza as well as check out Malbecs from the two other main Argentine regions, Salta and Patagonia. What we found was terroir- the wines changed with their geographical locations.

Coming from the French word for “land”, terroir can best be described as the particular geography, geology, and climate of an area that informs the finished product.  With advanced technology and modern winemaking techniques, terroir can often be covered up or deemphasized, but these particular wines were coming from regions so different that the wines had no choice but to show their origin to some extent. The tasting covered Mendoza’s three main regions: Maipu, Lujan, and Uco Valley, as well as wines from Cafayate, Salta and Rio Negro, Patagonia. We tasted in order from lowest to highest altitude.

The lowest altitude vines in Argentina also lie in one of the worlds most southernly wine regions- that of Patagonia. Here, Rio Negro and Neuquen are the main wine areas, home to a mere thirty some wineries on the cold, windy terrain. Pinot Noir and Semillon are the specialties here but some interesting Malbecs are also being produced. From this region we tasted the 2007 Humberto Canale Estate Malbec, a light bodied, markedly spicy, smoky Malbec with a timid fruit expression.  Cool climates tend to produce leaner wines, and this was one of the leanest Malbecs I’ve ever tasted.

Next up were Malbecs from Maipu (2008 Dona Silvina) and Lujan de Cuyo (2010 Zuccardi barrel sample).  These grapes are grown between 800-950 meters above sea level in higher, warmer, dry areas. From these regions, Malbec grapes tend to ripen more quickly and are more likely to display riper fruit characteristics and more leather or cooked fruit notes. While the Dona Silvina showed a notable amount of mature fruit and leather notes, the Zuccardi barrel sample from a slightly higher altitude showed more concentrated ripe fruits with red plum and hints of red flower.

Uco Valley came through with terroir typicity in the just-released 2009 Altos Las Hormigas Terroir Malbec.  At about 1200 meters high, Uco Valley tends to produce Malbecs of great concentration with marked violet aromas and fresh fruit characteristics.  The high altitude means greater sun exposure, leading to developed fruit flavors. It also means low nighttime temperatures, which allow the grapes to rest and develop acidity which helps with structure. These wines are often described as “muscular” with sweet fruit up front and firm tannins on the finish. Altos from Vista Flores displays a deep ruby color with marked violet aromas and fresh cherry on the nose. Rich and bursting with fresh fruit on the palate, this young wine’s tannins are still aggressive, but will mellow with age.

Cafayate high-altitude vineyards

We finished with the 2009 Coquena from San Pedro de Yacochuya out of Cafayate, Salta, home to the highest vineyards in the world. These grapes are grown at 1700 meters above sea level and thus show similar levels of concentration to the Uco Valley grapes. However, instead of pronounced violet aromas, the Saltanean Malbec shows pronounced green and black pepper aromas with plenty of sweet dark fruit on the nose as well.  With dry tannins and a rich mouthfeel, there are more savory notes in this Malbec than any of the others. I couldn’t help but start thinking about pairings.. venison with thyme and sweet potato?

Overall it was an interesting look into how vastly Argentine Malbec can vary from region to region. I am personally most impressed with the Malbecs coming out of the high altitude regions of Uco Valley and Cafayate.  They show strength and concentration with plenty of fruit but ample acidity to balance. As Argentine wines become more well known, look for these sub-regions to start showing up more on bottles. Labels that used to say “Mendoza” will start reading “Uco Valley” or “Agrelo”.  The good news is that the differences in terroir will become more noticeable the more wine you drink!

Posted in Behind the bottle, Mendoza Bodegas, Tasting Notes | No Comments »


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