Drink Eat Love

Changes in attitude via a change in latitude

After spending a week in Mendoza our small band of winos hopped on a flight and flew over the Andes to visit two producers in Chile:Aresti Vineyards and Los Vascos. I had not had the opportunity to explore Chile before and was a bit apprehensive about the quality and consistency of the wines. My prior experience had not been very positive, but as always I kept an open mind and looked forward to being surprised.

Monday Night Wine: It is so right for tonight

I'm not sure how many of you saw President Obama's speech tonight but I missed it. I was being a good American by supporting a local restaurant and temporarily escaping the doldrums of the current economy. I did happen to catch Governor Jindal's response to the speech and the NPR re-cap killing the warm fuzzy feeling of the two margaritas and carnitas. This buzz-kill made me determined to introduce a wine that, no matter your political philosophies, will allow you to enjoy life a little better and save you a few bucks. If you have not started exploring the wonderful world of Portuguese table wines, it is now time. Portugal is producing fantastic dry wines, both red and white, that are easy on the wallet and even better in your belly. You may not be able to say any of the names of the grapes but do not fret...the harder they are to say the better they will taste.

Reds other than Malbec

As I have mentioned in previous posts Argentina does not just make one wine. Though the industry is hanging most of its "hat" on Malbec most wineries produce a variety of different wines. The most interesting varietal that I tried was Bonarda closely followed by Pinot Noir. Depending on where the wines are grown I believe that these two grapes have bright futures in Argentina. The below wines represent the best of the non-Malbecs I tried.

Monday Night Wine (sort of): Nanbu Bijin Junmai Ginjo Sake

I was thinking about taking a break from drinking since my trip to South America, but then I thought that was really silly. Food and wine (sake or beer) are meant to be enjoyed together and if I'm going to take the time to cook a nice meal, it deserves at least a glass of something...right? I have never written about sake before but I really enjoy this unique beverage and I highly recommend to seek out quality sake.  Premium sake can be enjoyed just like wine and served with a variety of foods outside of Japanese influenced dishes.

They just don't make Malbec: The best whites

As I disembarked from the plane on Thursday afternoon into a blustery gray, cold and wet day I longed to be in the vineyards at 6,000 feet enjoying some Cibo (baby goat) and a glass of wine. That glass of wine would not necessarily have to be Malbec. Though the Malbecs of Mendoza are fantastic it is not prudent to just stop there with your exploration of the region. Over the week I tried great examples of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Torrontes, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Caberent Sauvgion and even some yummy sparkling wine. Though Argentina has had vines for hundreds of years it has just been within the past decade that the best vignerons have been selecting vineyard sites to specific varietals and clones to get the most out their grapes. The changes are clearly evident in the quality that I found in the glass.

Patagonia....not just an outdoor company

Verum is a new winery located in the Rio Negro wine region of Patagonia in southern Argentina. Rio Negro is one of the newest regions being developed in Argentina and is very cool climate. I have read that it is the new promise land for growing grapes. I'm not convinced of that yet but these three wines were really good.

Verum is a small winery that only produced 400 cases of wine in 2007: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. The vineyards are only five years old and the 2007 vintage was the first to go into production. I was very excited about these wines and the prices were unbelievable.

Malbec Heaven: We keep on tasting

Though I enjoy wine trips, my days and nights are very long and sleep comes at a premium. It is our sixth day on the road and we have tried nearly 100 wines. I am headed to Chile to explore what the other side of the Andes has to offer. I am hoping to get a better connection in Chile, but we will see....Before I hop on another plane, here are my notes for Ksana WInery.

Ksana is a partnership between famed winemaker Hector Durigutti and one of his best friends, Marcel Riesgo. Together they have created exquisite wines that speak to the terroir of the region. The winery produces three Malbecs grown from a 90-year old vineyards in Agrelo (Lujan de Cuyo), in addition they produce the best Bonarda I have every tried.

Mendoza Round 1

It is now the beginning of my fourth full day in Mendoza. Yesterday, I had a post all ready to go and then my computer crashed, delaying this post. In the post I lost yesterday I had written so much that it was a blessing for you that it was lost. I have decided that I will introduce each winery we tasted and give you my thoughts on the wines. Once we have completed the trip I will write a post dedicated to my overall impression of what is happening here in Argentina and the differences between my last trip in 2006.

Making my way to Mendoza

After 24 hours of travel I arrived in Mendoza, Argentina. The three plane rides to get here were very cozy and cramped but after a nice long walk, some Malbec rose, and a few empanadas I am back from the travel haze. I will be in Mendoza for 4 days touring and tasting wines in the portfolio of Vino del Sol, an importer that specializes in family-owned wines from Argentina.

On the hunt

The above photo is of some farm equipment on in a vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina. Tomorrow I am headed down south to visit a group of wineries in Mendoza and then in Chile. I will post my finds throughout my trip. Here are a few of my current favorites from Argentina and Chile. I am looking forward to tasting the latest releases and evaluating the last vintage. Argentina is currently in its worst drought in recorded history and I very much interested into learning what the farmers are doing to protect their vines. So stay tuned.

From Argentina:
Melipal, Malbec Mendoza 2006
Tikal "Patriota" (60% Bonarda/40% Malbec) Mendoza 2005
Zolo, Torrontes Mendoza 2007

From Chile:
Veramonte, Sauvignon Blanc  Casablanca Valley 2007
Cono Sur, Pinot Noir

I am very excited to explore more of Chile. It has not been on my radar but as wine quality improves world wide, I have heard great things about the new wineries and hopefully I'll find some great wine to bring back to the market.