Vines of Mendoza Blog

Together again, we set out for another day of adventure in the Mendoza wine region… we met early in the morning for our first visit, CORK SUPPLY S.A.

We learned about the different quality of corks as well as their patented INNOCORK TCA removal process., which guards against the molecule that causes the wines to be “corked.” (trichloroanisol) This process extracts volatiles from the cork under pseudo-distillation conditions using a mixture of ethanol, steam and air.

Technical stoppers 1+1

Technical cork stoppers, a little less expensive, that had been created for wines destined to be consumed in a period of 2 to 4 years. The body is a synthetic material with natural cork ends.

Colmated cork stoppers are an aggregate of natural cork particles, offering a compromise between a synthetic and natural cork.

Natural Cork Stoppers are the best option for quality wines. This option allow the wine the ideal environment to age.

Some other interesting info about Cork:

· Cork is the bark of an oak tree known botanically as QUERCUS SUBER. It is an evergreen which grows in commercial stands only in areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

· Of the important cork producing countries, Portugal supplies approximately 50%, Spain 25%, with the balance being divided between Algeria, France, Morocco, Italy and Tunisia.

· In these times of increased concern for the environment, cork remains the only tree which can regenerate itself after each harvest.

· The cork bark is stripped off 2/3 of the tree. The first harvest does not occur until the tree is approximately 25 - 30 years old.

· A thin layer of protective inner bark gives the cork oak its unique ability to survive and regenerate after the debarking process.

· The first bark taken from a tree is called “virgin” bark. It has a very irregular exterior surface and is grayish in color.

· The subsequent “harvests” of the tree will take place every nine years until the cork oak is approximately 150 years old.

· The tree is then replaced with a much younger one. The bark, which continues to grow after the “virgin” bark has been stripped is called “refugo” bark. It looks entirely different as it has a much smoother surface which is brown in color.

· To purchase cork bark is not an easy task as the quality not only varies from forest to forest as well as from tree to tree, but even the same tree may produce varying degrees of quality cork depending on its exposure to sunlight.

· Cork is a natural product with remarkably unique qualities unmatched by any other natural material. One cubic inch of cork consists of not less than 200 million completely enclosed air cells each measuring l/1000″ in diameter.

Next stop: BODEGA RICHARDI

We were received by Mariano Richardi, winemaker. Mariano and his 2 brothers (all winemakers ) designed an excellent sparkling wine that called our attention: Norberto B. Richardi, in honor of their father.

We have recently incorporated this remarkable sparkling wine into our portfolio. Norberto B. Richardi is made from Cardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir. They used the method Charmat Lungo, which is carried out in small stainless steel tanks and the most important aspect is the time the wine rest on the lees. In this particular case 14 months that gave this wine a really delicate character and complexity!

Our last stop was at Saint Gobain – Rayen Cura.

It was incredible to see how big this industry is!! They specialize in wine bottles and they have become one of the most important suppliers in Argentina.

We really enjoyed seeing how an unshaped fire ball was turned into a beautifully designed bottle. We were impressed by how many different tests a bottle goes through seeking for its perfection!

Training for the day was over… we felt a bit tired but really happy because along these two days we had learned a ton of new things!!

The Vines of Mendoza has closed the tasting room for our annual winter renovations, however we are far from bored, visiting Mendoza’s best bodegas and conducting extensive training sessions to achieve the best possible customer service for all of our guests. Yesterday we had the great pleasure to visit Bodega Catena Zapata. Not only is the architecture impressive, but so are their wines. Our generous hosts took us on the grand tour and treated us to a very special tasting:

2004 Angelica Zapata Chardonnay
2004 DV Malbec
2002 DV Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 Angelica Zapata Malbec

The wines were simply stunning and the hospitality was overwhelming. We talked to their winemaker, Alejandro, who gave us his insight into winemaking philosophy and how he is very blessed to be able to blend both varietals and grapes from different vineyards to create optimal blends of varietals and regions. The care and thought that goes into these wines is very apparent with their elegant and complex wines.

We would like to thank Catena Zapata for accommodating our group and we recommend visiting the bodega on your next trip to Mendoza!

I had the pleasure to visit San Francisco’s newest and most popular custom wine facility, Crushpad. Based in the “dogpatch” district of San Francisco, they offer customers the opportunity to create and craft their own barrel of wine. Their customers range from groups of friends to small commercial enterprises with the ability to purchase grapes from over 40 different vineyard sites and be active in the entire process from bottle to label. The team was amazing with my thousands of questions, answering them with patience and humor. It is exciting to see so many people with a passion for wine.

Next stop City winery in New York. Making wine is becoming the new luxury hobby to indulge in!