Made in Mendoza: A winemaker’s dream

23rd June 2014
Bibendum

Silvia Corti is the Head Winemaker at Argento, one of Bibendum’s most established Argentinean wine brands. We spoke to her about what inspires her, what she does as a winemaker and just how different each region of Mendoza is.

Why did you want to become a winemaker?

My grandparents introduced me to winemaking as a child growing up in Mendoza. I used to help make our family wine from their vineyards in Agrelo by helping to pick the grapes and filling bottles when the wine was ready. I loved the way it brought our family together, and I knew from an early age that I wanted to be winemaker. Ever since beginning my career as a winemaker more than 15 years ago, I continue to choose to be a winemaker again every day – it’s in my blood and part of my DNA.

Can you describe a typical day?

During harvest, my day starts at sunrise in the vineyard – checking the condition of the vines, the soil, irrigation etc. Typically I drive about 450-500 miles each week to visit all our vineyard areas, checking on the ripeness of the grapes and deciding when to pick them. I spend a lot of time in the car, but the Mendoza scenery is beautiful, so I can’t complain!
After that I go to the winery and taste all of the fermentation tanks, making decisions about the fermentation program, skin contact, temperatures etc. I also spend a lot of time in the laboratory deciding on the final blend of each wine, taking components from a wide variety of different terroirs and microclimates around Mendoza. For example, with Malbec we get deep colour and great aromatic intensity from the Uco Valley and we get fruity aromatic concentration and velvety tannins from the Central Region.

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Nose for the job

February 23, 2014
Buenos Aires Herald by Sorrel Moseley-Williams.

Take a glass, preferably a wine-shaped one, and fill it with your Malbec of preference or a fun and floral Torrontés. We’re going to raise a toast to wine superstar Paz Levinson, who last week qualified as Argentina’s first Advanced Sommelier from the UK’s Court of Master Sommeliers. This, in case you aren’t quite sure, is a big deal. Speaking as one who is currently cooking the books in an attempt to become the lowest-ranked and least knowledgeable of sommeliers, trust me, it isn’t just about knocking back wine and slurring lyrical about it. No, no, I spit wine in school…

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A Stunning New Wine Retreat in Argentina

Urbandaddy JetSet Hotels
January 19, 2014

Studies show that a glass of red wine each day is good for your health.

However, those studies were not conducted in a controlled environment with hot tubs and infinity pools and steaks grilled over roaring fires. So just to be sure…

Raise a glass to The Vines Resort & Spa, a few hundred acres of Mendoza wine country where you can live like an Argentine Dionysus, taking reservations now.

Think of this as summer camp for oenophiles (it’s basically July down there right now, you know). You’re staying in one of 22 villas, all tucked in a valley of nothing but vineyards and panoramic views of the Andes. And like any good camp, they keep a pretty strict schedule…

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Get in the mood for Malbec, Argentina’s warm bear hug of a wine

10 Jan 2014
The Telegraph by Victoria Moore

Argentina’s number one seller Malbec is a perfect comfort wine – a world away from Cahors, its gritty French forebear.

Let’s hope the 18th-century Frenchman responsible for propagating a certain grape, côt, through the Medoc, wasn’t a patriot. His name, Malbek, became synonymous with the grape but fate can be quixotic. Say it today and it’s not France you think of, it’s Argentina. Malbec, to give it the modern spelling, is not just Argentina’s biggest wine export – by a mile (we’re talking five times more, by value, than its closest competitor, cabernet sauvignon). It’s a vinous signature: an exuberant, big, scented style, a world away from the dense, grittily tannic, opaque wines from Cahors, that other centre of malbec excellence. And it has become a modern staple.
“Anything with Malbec on the bottle just flies out,” says Paola Tich of Park and Bridge wine shop in Acton.
Restaurant wine consultant and sommelier Alessandro Marchesan says Malbec is the red of choice of the well-lip-sticked out-of-towners who dine out in London at the weekend, in the same way that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has been the white.

“Malbec is like pizza and sex,” he tweets. “It doesn’t matter how bad it is for some people it will still be OK.”
Oh, hang on, that doesn’t sound quite so positive. I’m certain Marchesan doesn’t have any bad ones on his lists at the Shard and Roka but you can sense a certain frustration and he’s right to make the point.

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Wine: Always time for Argentine

04 January 2014
Independent.ie by Liam Campbell

In the aftermath of Christmas and New Year festivities comes an antidote to rich and heavy fare that is as refreshing and fragrant as a mountain breeze through a May orchard in full blossom — it is called Torrontés.

Unique to Argentina, Torrontés is that country’s emblematic white wine. Descended from the grapey aromatic Muscat of Alexandria varietal and the local Argentine Criolla Chica, Torrontés is fragrant with white flowers and a peach and mango fruity character complemented by a little spice, not unlike Viognier. Most vineyards are well over 600m above sea level. Some reach 2,000m in the northern province of Salta near the town of Cafayate, the highest commercial vineyards in the world. These high-altitude vineyards produce wines with a purity and concentration of refreshing cool climate character, despite being located near the Equator. Farther south, in the satellite wine regions of Mendoza city, Tupungato is recognised as producing top quality wines while the Uco Valley’s high-altitude vineyards account for fresher and crisper acidity. San Juan is hotter and drier than Mendoza and is gaining a reputation for some of the country’s finest Shiraz.

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Would you pay more than US$100 for an Argentine Malbec?

Wednesday, 08-Jan-2014
Published by Wine-Searcher.com by Amanda Barnes

You won’t see Argentina headlining wine auctions yet, but the world’s fifth-largest producer is beginning to make collectible wines. At this stage, buyers are more likely to have romantic reasons for embracing Argentina, though producers hope that wine investors may soon follow them into the market.

“Most of our clients that spend over US$80 a bottle have either visited Argentina and fallen in love with the country or are married to an Argentine,” says Christian Rothhardt, founder of specialist Argentine wine merchant Ruta 40 in London.

Tapping into the tourist trade is an important factor in Argentina itself. The Vines of Mendoza tasting room in the historic city encourages visitors to taste wines from different producers, after which they can ship bottles home and subsequently send orders from the United States.

“The average price of our wines sold [here] is US$45,” says head sommelier Mariana Onofri. “Once they have been here and experienced the great wines, they are confident spending more on Argentine wine in the future.”

That said, many of Argentina’s top wines are bought by affluent locals and wine-loving Brazilians on vacation. Visitors hunting out bargains are sometimes disillusioned to discover that the prices charged at the cellar door are higher than at home. Take, for example, one of Robert Parker’s top five producers in Argentina, Alta Vista. The 2007 vintage of its leading wine, Alto, sells at 600 pesos (US$92) yet is listed on Wine-Searcher at an average price of US$74 excl. tax. It’s not about ripping off tourists, either, as the same higher prices – and more – are charged in local wine stores and restaurants.

So, why are Argentine wines sold more cheaply 5,000 miles away than they are in the place of production? The anomaly arises because of the parlous state of the Argentine peso. At the time of publication, the official rate was 6.5 pesos to the U.S. dollar, while the black market rate was 10.3. It’s the official rate that’s used in exports.

Taking average worldwide prices as a barometer, here are the top 10 on Wine-Searcher’s list of Argentina’s Most Expensive Wines*. To be included, a wine must have been produced over five consecutive vintages and have a minimum of 20 different offers in our search engine.

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Argentina is ‘No one-trick pony’

4th December, 2013
The Drink Business by Lucy Shaw

While it may have built its reputation on Malbec, Argentina is no one-trick pony when it comes to wine, according to one of the country’s top boutique producers. Speaking to the drinks business at his estancia in the Pampas, Dario Werthein, owner of Bodegas Riglos said: “We’ve put our energy into Cabernet Franc to show that Argentina is no one trick pony. “We’re so serious about quality that we only produce 6,000 bottles a year and didn’t make a 2012 vintage as the grapes weren’t up to our standards.” Founded in 2002, the Riglos estate spans 72 hectares in Tupungato and the Uco Valley in Mendoza. Production is small, with only 80,000 bottles produced each year, including a Malbec, a Cabernet Sauvignon and red blend Gran Corte. Photo: Dario Werthein, owner of Bodegas Riglos. Photo credit: Colin Hampden-White

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Argentina tries to give Malbec more status

The New York Times
By Florence Fabricant
December 27, 2013

In Argentina, where the Malbec grape is king, winemakers have put a different and intriguing spin on what is usually known as a Bordeaux blend. Instead of the typical mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, they are relying primarily on Cabernet and Malbec.

Malbec because it dominates the vineyards of Mendoza, the country’s largest wine region. And Cabernet because making a top-of-the-line Malbec blend seems to beg for its cachet, especially if you have French partners.

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Wines of Argentina wins national events award for breakthrough Cambalache initiative

Nov 28, 2013
Harpers by Richard Siddle

Wines of Argentina’s breakthrough Cambalache consumer event, that helped celebrate the best wine, food, music and art that the country has to offer, has come top in an industry award for brand experience. It has also been announced that Cambalache will return in 2014 with events planned for both London and New York.

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Argentina’s First Wine and Viticulture Sustainability Protocol

November 21, 2013
PRWEB.COM Newswire

Mendoza, Argentina.- Bodegas de Argentina, an association of 240 Argentine wineries designed to advance Argentine wine both nationally and abroad, today announced the publication of Argentina’s first wine and viticulture sustainability protocol. The 173-page document marks the culmination of a four-year study with the Catena Institute of Wine in collaboration with the association’s sustainability commission, local universities and government entities.

“Our winemaking region, a high altitude desert, is different from any other in the world,” said Laura Catena, founder of the Catena Institute of Wine. “The Bodegas de Argentina Sustainability Protocol takes into consideration our geographic, climatic and social environments, and will pave the way for small growers and wineries of all sizes to farm sustainably and preserve our centuries old viticultural heritage.” Lee mas

Daniel Pi: Coast is key to Argentina’s wine future

14th November, 2013
The Drink Business by Lucy Shaw

Planting vineyards close to the coast will help unlock further winemaking potential in Argentina according to one of the country’s most respected winemakers.

Speaking to the drinks business during a recent visit to London, Daniel Pi, chief winemaker at Trapiche, revealed details of a vineyard project in Buenos Aires.

“We’re developing a coastal vineyard close to the Atlantic Ocean in Buenos Aires where we planted 12 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc in 2009 as an experiment.

“The cool climate coastal thing is very trendy right now and we want to be in on the action. The wines are going to be unlike anything that has come out of Argentina so far as they have a real coastal influence, so have wonderful minerality,” he said.

 

“Our Sauvignon Blanc is about to be bottled and I’m really excited about it. We haven’t decided on a name yet. The idea down the line is to make a traditional method sparkling wine from Chardonnay and Pinot grown on the site,” he added.

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Malbec: A Taste to Tango With

Nov. 7, 2013
Will Lions on Wine @ The Wall Street Journal

IN ARGENTINA THEY PLANT their vineyards high. In some areas, like the Andean foothills, the altitude can be a dizzying 2,000 meters, and sometimes higher. To put that into a more easily graspable European context, that is more than six times the height of the Eiffel Tower. It’s the altitude that explains the unique flavor and character of Argentinian wines. In short, the higher the vineyards the more intense the sunlight, hence the thicker the skins grow and the more acidity the grapes acquire.

I have only ever seen this light from above, flying over the Andes on my way to Santiago. But speak with any Argentinian winemaker and they will wax lyrical about it. When I mentioned Argentina to wine consultant Michel Rolland, his eyes lit up as he talked about the purity of the mountain air and the intensity of the light.

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Wine Argentina: What’s the secret of Mendoza Malbec?

August 1, 2013 by Julia Hollister.
Examiner.com

Argentinean winemaker Ernesto Bajda, brought his Don Miguel Gascon Malbec to San Francisco last week along with his story of fate in the vineyards. “I believe it was destiny that I am in the wine industry,” he said. “My father and grandfather were coopers who made the wine barrels and I was supposed to be an accountant. So, it’s ironic today that they made the barrels and now I am filling them.” Read full article

Argentina offers wine lovers more than Malbec

July 31st 2013
Waters & Wine
By Christopher Waters, QMI Agency CANOE.ca

Any discussion of wine in Argentina is quick to single out Torrontés, … Some winemakers looking to be kingmakers wishfully call Torrontés, the white Malbec.
As you wander around Argentina, it’s easy to see why Malbec was cast in the leading role of the country’s vibrant wine industry. Widely planted across the country’s rugged landscape, it delivers impressive wines that are dark in colour, rich in flavour and velvety smooth.
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Argentine families spend 630 pesos a year on wine

Monday, July 22, 2013
Buenos Aires Herald with Telam

Survey on consumption
In case there was any doubt, now it has been scientifically proven: Argentines like their wine. Households spend 630 pesos a year on wine and drink, an average 41 litres of the beverage, a recent study showed. Red wine leads the preferences —white and rosé wine varieties are not as popular. “Wine is mostly the choice of households with housewives over 50,” stressed Juan Manuel Primbas, country manager for Kantar Worldpanel Argentina, a consultancy. “In that segment, there is an increase in both the number of buyers and the average amount spent.” Wine is the drink of choice for households with one or two members, without kids, explains the study, which was carried out from a survey of 3,500 households nationwide. Lee mas

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