Posted on: Wednesday, July 6, 2005
RAISE A GLASS
Pair Argentinian wines with favorites from grill
By Brian Geiser
The tango may be the hottest import from Argentina right now, but its wine could be next up. Consider leaving the beaten path of your usual wine selections to open a bottle of smoky, spicy, peppery malbec from Argentina. Lovers of zinfandel and syrah will find similar taste profiles in these wines. Argentina is the fifth-largest wine producer in the world (the others, in descending order, are Italy, France, Spain and the U.S.). In Hawai'i, we're starting to see more of these good value wines in our stores.
For centuries Argentina produced only simple and incredibly inexpensive wines for domestic consumption from the criolla grape (pais in Chile; mission in California), the standard black grape originally brought in by Spanish colonists. About 20 years ago, Argentina was faced with a huge supply and shrinking demand as domestic consumption dwindled from 26 gallons per person to 10.4 gallons per person! Some forward-thinking producers have started to sacrifice quantity and make the difficult transition to quality wines for the international market. They've begun to invest in modern equipment and lower yields to recraft the taste of their wines.
Like a lot of the emerging wine producers, Argentina relies on foreign investment to buy stainless steel tanks, refrigeration, French oak barrels, etc. Moet et Chandon has had a big investment in the southern Rio Negro district for about 15 years. Lafite Rothschild has a joint venture with the Catena family of the Mendoza region, whose Bodegas Caro is among those I found to be available in Hawai'i. We've just started to see the results of the trend towards quality Argentinian wines, which currently represent less than five percent of their total production.
Argentina, like everywhere else, is starting to plant chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah, but malbec is Argentina's real claim to fame. Malbec was brought to the high-altitude desert of Mendoza in the 1850s from the Cahors region of France. Today this district counts for 70 percent of the country's total production. Nearly 1,000 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, Mendoza sits in the shadow of the Andes with the snow melt providing natural irrigation. Abundant sun and dry air keep fungal diseases at bay, dramatically reducing the need for chemical sprays. Over the years, selections of the best vines were made to produce small clusters and small berries which translate into richer, darker and more concentrated wines. Another region, Rio Negro, may turn out to the Argentina's best for wine. Known for white and sparkling wines, it is the coolest area because it's the farthest south.
When you fire up the grill for the summer, try a wine from Argentina. They pair well with grilled meats. I've called around to give you suggestions on what's available in Hawai'i:
• Bodegas Caro (cabernet sauvignon and malbec) Mendoza $34-36 • Crios (cabernet sauvignon) Mendoza $11-13 • Bodegas Salentein Finca El Portilllo (merlot) $7-9
• Luca Altos de Mendoza (chardonnay) $25-27
• Altos Las Hormigas Reserva (malbec) $21-23 Brian Geiser is the sommelier at Chef Mavro restaurant (www.chefmavro.com). This column appears every other week and is a lesson in wine pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
