Argentina proved its mettle on the playing field in South Africa against the worthy Mexican team vying for a spot to compete in the quarter finals. Next up is an epic battle with the strong German team this Saturday. Mendoza is full of energy and action with world cup tee shirts and jerseys resplendent in the streets! (photo by worldcontributor.com)
Off the field Argentina is also dominating in the world of wine. In an article from Wines of Argentina, Argentine wines are still the fastest growing import in the US with dollar sales up 31.3% and volumes up 27.5%. Three Argentine wines also earned a spot of the coveted Wine & Spirits “50 Value Brands of the Year” further solidifying Argentina’s position in the international market as the go-to wine with high quality and value. The three listed were all under $20 and included Basso, Cruz Alta, and Trivento.
And while Malbec is certainly the darling of Argentina’s wine portfolio, the future is bright with the arrival of new and exciting varietals, research and development and new technologies. In a recent interview from Wine Sur with long-time winemaker Aldo Luis Biondolillo from Bodega Tempus Alba, his take is “differentiation is key.” He feels that winemaking has been “one of the few agroindustrial activities that keeps growing steadily in the export market, both in terms of production and commercialization.” Particularly interesting are the associations that are in place to help foster winery development as well as research for clonal identification and propagation.
” Our winery relies on strategic alliances with Mendoza’s fund for transformation and growth (FTyC, Fondo para la Transformación y el Crecimiento), ProMendoza and the Argentinian fund for technology transfer (FONTAR, Fondo Tecnológico Argentino). The funds granted by the FTyC helped us protect our vineyards by means of anti-hail nets, and last year, it also allowed us to expand the capacity of our vats at the winery. ProMendoza guided us along our process of commercial development. And FONTAR helped us by means of their non-refundable funds program, which we’re using to finance the evaluation of ten years of work devoted to the identification, selection and multiplication of Malbec clones. We’re already producing our own clones. Our future vineyards will be developed using material selected from the centennial genetic pool of Argentina’s commercial viticulture. Today we can offer our importers wines produced from grapes selected by ourselves. Though this is a costly and time-consuming task, it will help us pave the way towards differentiation.”
Argentina, despite all of its recent popularity, is still a wine region that has yet to really hit its stride. Since I have been here over the last 4 years, the number of Cabernet Sauvignon’s that I have tasted and actually liked have increased dramatically. Granted I have a bit of a California palate, but I believe with the influence of foreign winemakers and techniques, understanding, farming, and producing Cabernet has increased in quality and consistency over the last 5 years. The future holds the same true for new varietals. I am excited to see how transplanted varietals, such as Rhone selections like Marsanne, Rousanne, and particularly Syrah have in store!
The future is shining brightly for Argentina both on and off the field!
