We are taking a side trip south of the equator to learn a little bit about Argentina. One of the gals admits to owning “tango shoes” while the other has a new guilty podcast pleasure. We’re also pretty high – not that kind of high (insert Colorado jokes here) – on vineyard altitude and other factoids this week. This is an easy sipper and a jumping off point for next week’s special Argentinean wine exploration – and seduction – edition.
Steph: “Welcome Wine-Two-Five listeners! This is episode 57.”
Val: “Yes, Steph, do you have your Tango shoes on?”
Steph: “I’m not sure how it is possible, but I don’t have tango shoes. Not yet anyway. However, I do plan to learn tango, again, before my 2018 trip to Argentina. And I say “again” because about 9 years ago, when Justin and I first moved to FoCo, we took weekly tango lessons. The trouble was, we didn’t practice and didn’t make it a priority. BUT, I love latin dancing and I LOVE wines from Argentina!!!”
Val: “Me too. So since we’re talking wines of Argentina today, I just happen to have one here!”
Drinking:
Val: “I’m drinking the Loscano Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012, about $14. It’s from the Uco Valley in the Mendoza region of Argentina.”
Steph: “Val, how cool! Shout-out to my buddy Grant Jennings who is the US Sales Manager at Loscano Wines and lives here in the FoCo! I’m drinking 2011 Chateau Argadens Bordeaux Superieur – Merlot dominant blend of 69% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Cabernet Franc. Plus it has the celebrity appeal of being owned by the same family as Chateau Palmer.”
Discussion:
Val: “Argentina is home of the Tango … and the empanada. But it also produces some tremendous wines. Today we’ll talk about why. Just to get us started you may or may not realize it is 6th in wine production in the world and nearly 25% of their wine is exported. It’s the second largest country in South America, and the eighth largest in the world. It stretches from just above the Tropic of Capricorn at the 20th parallel S to the southern tip of South America at 54 degrees S, which is about 750 miles from Antarctica. The grapes, however grow between the 23rd & 42nd parallels (wine grapes traditionally grow between the 30th & 50th, depending on climate, in both northern and southern hemispheres.) Right now, in fact, the southern hemisphere has just finished – or is just finishing up harvest.
Kaiken’s Vistalba in Agentina (photo courtesy of KaikenWines.com)
“It was the Italian & Spanish immigrants in the mid 1800s we can thank for the variety of grapes grown in Argentina. That said, vines were actually brought to Argentina as early as 1541 from Spain, but they didn’t do well. Several expeditions from Peru in the 1550s also were key to bringing vine material into the country, as were vines from neighboring Chile. The first actual vineyard was planted in 1557 (as recorded) in Santiago del Estero, with Mendoza city founded four years later. Of course over the next 300 years we can, as with many other wine regions around the world, thank the church or monasteries for sustaining and improving on the grape growing and wine making industries. For example, the industry was based primarily on the Criolla Chica (or the Mission grape that began the US grape growing industry, which is a pink grape). Steph, you want to talk grapes?
Steph: “It was during the 1800s when French varieties were being imported that we can trace the origins of the Malbec grape in Argentina. These vines were brought before the phylloxera root louse destroyed the vines in Europe, so many of them are still ungrafted (on original rootstock) today!”
Photo courtesy of www.KaikenWines.com
“Grapes: Malbec is still the most planted, followed by the Cereza (pink), Bonarda (red, what we call Charbono), and Criolla Grande (a pink skinned grape, mainly used for lower quality bulk wines, often blended with muscat).
“The most planted white grapes include Pedro Gimenez (not to be confused with the Pedro Ximenez of Sherry, or PX, which we’ll talk about later this summer), followed by the Torrontes Riojano (a cross between the Muscat of Alexandria & the Criolla Chica). Chardonnay is the next most planted. There are two other varieties of Torrontes (Sanjuanino and Mendocino), but we don’t see them as much. They also grow Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Sauvignon Blanc & Muscat.”
Factoid:
Val: “Jancis Robinson points out in her Purple Pages that Mendoza Argentina’s distance from the equator is the same as Baghdad’s. I thought that was interesting. Now, Baghdad is freaking hot. And I didn’t get to drink wine in Baghdad, but they do grow grapes there, mostly in the plains/Baghdad zone. However, back to Argentina where it’s still arid (cold desert vs hot desert) they plant grapes in some of the highest altitude vineyards in the world. These range anywhere from 1900 to 5300 feet, particularly in Salta, north of Mendoza. And we know that the cool nights and pure sunshine at higher altitudes makes for some ripe, concentrated grapes that can maintain their acidity.
Although, we must mention the “Highest Vineyard on the Planet” award goes to Donald Hess in Salta for Altura Maxima at up to 10,000 feet where they have some 160+ year old vines. ”
Winoradar:
Steph: “We’ve mentioned this Taste Vacations trip before because it takes you to both Chile and Argentina – so as a reminder – if we’ve wet-your-whistle today for wines from Argentina – check out the link on our webpage for Taste Vacations. November 13 – 21, 2016.
“Plus – I have a new podcast on my radar called Premiere Cru. These 2 guys that host the show, Carlos and Travis, are huge film junkies and pair wine and movies. I will definitely let my movie-buff friends, and my Justin, know about this podcast. Basically this is my winoradar-shoutout 1-2 punch combo!
“Can I mention something else, movie-wine-Argentina related???
Check out the documentary Boom Varietal: The Rise of Argentine Malbec. I’d loan it to ya, but I think someone else is borrowing it right now.”
Photo from Wine Country Cottage front porch … steps from the Pinot Vines!
Val: “My friend recommended this Wine Country Vineyard Cottage in Santa Rosa if you’re taking a trip to Sonoma area. It’s located on Betty Ann Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. According to Jen, it’s just a few feet from the Pinot Vines. This is just a picture from the front porch but the pictures on the Air BnB website are lovely. It is a one bedroom, and priced better than many hotels. Check it out!”
Shoutouts:
Steph: “All SWE listeners – reminder to vote for the Board of Directors – Voting closes June 15th, 2016. … our Val is running is too – Go Girl!”
#W25 Challenge Update:
Val: “Diane’s post with her Ginger Bug – that’s totally unusual! She asked for cocktail ideas, so
Diane’s Ginger Bug
we suggested anything with ginger beer (such as a Dark and Stormy) – actually we discussed the Ginger Bug (because I’d never heard of it) over a Bloody Mary bar at a friend’s house on Sunday.
“Susan Go posted on Derby Day -2 creative cocktails – one was a spin on a Mint Julep and the other a new version of a Moscow Mule.
Check out these posts and comments on our W2 FaceBook Page!
Susan’s cocktails
Steph: Annnnd that’s all we have for this week.
Connect with Val on Twitter @WineGalUnboxed and on the Vino With Val FB page, and on instagram as Vino with Val.
You can find Steph on Twitter @Albarellosoap and on the AlbarelloSoap FB page, and check out the videos on the Albarello YouTube channel!
Val: you can visit us on the WineTwoFive website, FB page, Twitter, Pinterest & YouTube. You can also email us at winetwofive@gmail.com.
Also please share Wine Two Five with your friends and online community.
We appreciate all your involvement and feedback and especially iTunes reviews.
One more thing… Don’t forget to use the #W25Challenge when you are trying new wines and drinks & thank you to those who have been posting like crazy this week.
So until next week – Cheers!