It’s Wine O’clock

by Liz Krivonosov

I always travel with a corkscrew.

With over 2000 commercial wineries in Argentina, it’s almost essential equipment.

The dream of riding through South America may have been inspired by Che Guevara’s Motorcycle Diaries, but the book also features feasts of wine and meat. So along with my trusty sidekick and designated driver, Juan (aka John) I’ve set out to discover what makes the wines of Argentina special. I have tried to visit smaller, family owned bodegas and newer boutique wineries, as well as the established ones, some of which are over 100 years old.

Visiting a winery in Argentina requires military planning.  You cannot just drive through the gate and pop in for a quick tasting, like you can back home. You must have a confirmed reservation, with your name on the clipboard held by the security guard at the grand gates. Sometimes there’s even a passport check, before you are allowed entry.  The majority of wineries only allow a full tour followed by a tasting.  Each visit lasts approximately 1.5 hours.  And yes, I do use the spit bucket during tastings… sometimes.

The Spanish brought the first vines to Argentina in the mid 1500s, during their colonization of South America.  However, the establishment of commercial wineries did not begin until the mid 1800s. Today, the wine industry is dominated by French and Italian multinational companies, but there are still a few medium and smaller bodegas owned by local families. Surprisingly, Spanish companies are not prominent in this country.

Argentina is the fifth largest wine producer in the world.  It’s a little surprising to see grapes growing in these semi-desert conditions. Water conservation is crucial in this climate and drip irrigation controls water delivery to the vines. While the hot weather favors grapes such Argentina’s signature Malbec, many other grape varietals are grown here, including white wine grapes that I thought would be better suited to a more temperate climate, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and even Riesling.

Argentina’s vineyards are also the highest in the world, ranging from around 1,000 meters around Mendoza, up to 2,300 meters north of Salta. The altitude is said to concentrate flavors in the grapes.

Malbec is King of the reds here, but Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and fairly decent Pint Noirs are also produced.  During my visits I discovered a red grape (Bonarda) that I quite like. Bonarda is second by production volume in Argentina, but is not well known in Canada. The wine it produces is full bodied, but somewhat lighter, a little fruitier and lower in tannins than a Malbec.

The volume of production is mindboggling. The cellar of one winery I visited (Salentein) holds over 5000 French oak barrels, patiently aging their contents.  Each barrel holds approximately 200 litres of wine. Production for the mega wineries is in the range of tens of millions of litres annually. Bodega Norton boasts over 25 million litres of wine per year.

Protection of the crops is vital.  I noticed nets over some grapes and assumed this was to prevent damage by birds.  But birds are not an issue in Mendoza. It’s protection from hailstorms, which are common in summer here.  The nets are very expensive and made of Kevlar (same material used in bullet proof vests).  Two weeks ago, one vineyard with unprotected vines, lost 80% of their crop to a powerful 20-minute hailstorm, just before harvest.

There are 3 major wine growing areas around Mendoza:  Uco Valley, Maipu and Lujan de Cayo.  These three areas, all within an hour or two of Mendoza, produce over 70% of Argentina’s wine. Maipu and Lujan are now almost suburbs of Mendoza. Some of the original vineyards and century-old wineries still exist, side by side with residential neighborhoods.  A wine museum, right in the heart of Mendoza, still has one of the original vineyards.  It reminded me of Montmartre, in the centre of Paris, that also has a small patch of vines dating back centuries.

The Argentine wine industry rose to world prominence in the 1990’s. New, young wine makers saw the potential here. They brought in new techniques and equipment, improved production standards and revitalized the country’s viticulture.

It is in the Uco Valley where the biggest change has occurred. Vineyards did not exist here prior to the 1990s but because of changes in irrigation, quality wines began to be created by French and Italian wine makers. Now, these wines rival those of Napa Valley in terms of quality. Boutique hotels and spas have also sprung up, with prices rivalling Napa – some charging $600+ USD per night and $100 for lunch (wine included).  The economic impact of the wine industry is obvious, both in Mendoza and the area’s small, prosperous towns, where jobs are plentiful.  Bodega Norton, a 100 year old winery, employs over 150 families.

What is it about wine that creates such fascination?  For me it is a feast for the senses – the visual appeal, the bouquet in the glass and the tantalizing taste.  The bottle contains history, geography and the human struggle with nature to grow such delicate fruit.   It brings us together and celebrates our achievements.

In 2010, Argentina declared wine to be the national beverage. Wine is certainly at the heart of the Mendoza region.  Here, a meal without wine is called breakfast.  Thus, Mendoza time is wine o’clock anytime during the day.

I look forward to sharing more stories and raising a glass of wine with many of you, upon my return to Canada. Salud!!

Here are some more pictures from my oenophilic travels.