Argentina : Tiny Bites

On Argentinean wine and Mendoza bodegas

1 Comment Bruce NguyenApril 14, 2010

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is just around the corner. With Argentina and New Zealand being co-theme regions this year, it seems opportune to share experiences from my recent jaunt through Argentina this past Christmas break.

A primer on Argentinean wine

Let’s start with some basic Spanish-to-English terminology:

vino = wine
bodega = winery
viñedo = vineyard
salud = cheers
uno mas, por favor = one more, please

The above, plus charades, got me through three weeks in Argentina!

In terms of vino, Argentina is mainly known for its Malbec. This grape has its roots as one of the handful of kosher varietals allowed in a Bordeaux wine blend. The most popular Bordeaux blends these days, however, do not contain this grape at all, mixing Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot instead. It’s said that the Malbec grape was so maligned and unsuited to the wet and cold French climate that it earned the lesser name of côt. I’m told that it’s not an endearing name, but all wine varietals sound Greek to me when I first hear them.

It wasn’t until the late 19th century, when Malbec was planted in Argentina – where the scorching sun shines over 300 days a year – that the grape finally came into its own. And now, if you believe the marketing hype of my tour guide, Malbec is one of the hottest crazes in wine. In other words, the story of Malbec is the story of a poor French immigrant achieving the great (South) American Dream!

A lesser known wine varietal equally coupled with Argentina is Torrontés (Torontel). You may have had a more intimate experience with it in the form of Chilean Pisco. Crisp, floral, and fruity, this was our white wine of choice in our travels. Perhaps “choice” is the wrong word, as it was rather insisted upon us whenever we asked for a white wine recommendation.

Argentina’s Mendoza region is known for its Malbec, while the best Torrontés are said to come from Salta. While we didn’t get a chance to visit the latter, we did make it to Mendoza, visiting a couple wineries between taking mid-day siestas, feasting at parrillas (grill houses), and discovering surprisingly good Italian food (a tale for another day).

The two wineries we visited were Vistandes and Don Artuo, both located in the Maipú sub-region. Here, glacial waters from the Andes, high altitudes, and large day/night temperature swings lead to successful vineyards. The temperature swings, called thermal amplitude, makes the grapes constantly expand and contract, drawing in and concentrating the flavours and nuances of the terroir.

Personally, whenever “terroir” is brought up during a wine tasting, I have a tendency to disguise the rolling of my eyes with a swivel of the wrist, a sniff of the glass, and a murmur that “mmm, yes, the yeast is quite expressive”. While I would never claim to have nearly as nuanced wine-buds as the rest of Team Tiny Bites, I’ve learned long ago to never pick a fight with a sommelier.

Bodega Vistandes

Vistandes is a boutique winery located in the Cruz de Piedra sub-region of Maipú in Mendoza, Argentina. While the owners have been selling grapes to other wineries for years, they only recently set up their own in 2006, giving them a modern winery with access to older vines. The winery’s entry hall doubles as a music hall. Unfortunately nobody was playing when we were there mid-day, which in retrospect was a bit of a tease since we do appreciate the Tango.

Known mostly for their Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, this winery likes to combine grapes from both their two vineyards, one in Mendoza and one in the Famatina Valley of La Rioja. The claim is to a more sophisticated flavour profile.

We tried their Malbec, Cab Sauv, and Torrontés, with part of the group giving top marks to the Cab Sauv and the other half of the group liking the Torrontés best.

Bodega Vistandes
Ruta 60 y Carril Urquiza, Cruz de Piedra | Maipú, Mendoza
+54 261 5246213 / 5246214

Bodega Don Arturo

Another boutique winery in Mendoza, Don Arturo has been family run for the past eighty years. Our guide proudly pointed out the weeds in between the vines as proof that no chemicals or pesticides are ever used on the dirt. Heaven forbid that chemicals penetrate the terroir! Mmm, yes, the yeast is quite expressive… sorry, force of habit.

To further stress their focus on using and accepting the character of the land, the irrigation for the vineyards and the coolant system that keeps the vats at the right temperature uses glacial waters siphoned from the nearby Mendoza River. These systems were engineered to be driven by the force of gravity, with powered pumps turned on only when necessary.

Again, being based in Mendoza, Don Arturo specializes in reds, but with more blends rather than pure varietals.

Bodega Cavas de Don Arturo
Franklin Villanueva 2233, Lunlunta | Maipú, Mendoza
+54 261 154538854 / 154540843

Afterword

Unfortunately, neither of these two wineries will have a presence at this year’s Vancouver Wine Festival. Although glancing through the participating wineries list, I do see a few wineries that I have had good experiences with:

Doña Paula – Malbec
Familia Zuccardi – Torrontés (Santa Julia brand)
Finca Flichman – especially their Malbec 2007
Norton – Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Perdriel brand)
Masi Agricola – Granderella

That last one isn’t Argentinean, but I am so enamoured with their Granderella it that I can’t help but include it on the list!

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival runs Monday April 19th through Sunday April 25th. Tickets and more information are available at their website. We’ll be around, and remember to say salud if you see us!

Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival
April 19 – 25, 2010
Multiple venues | Vancouver