Let Argentine wines tango with your tastebuds
Time will tell if they are pretenders to the throne. But they are getting a royal reception. They are among the hottest categories in many Edmonton stores.
This isn't surprising. Sales of Argentinean wines are going through the roof.
David Gummer at Vines in Riverbend says there are more than 100 Argentine wines now registered in Alberta and his sales have skyrocketed.
"In 2008, sales grew 74 per cent over 2007 and those figures were significantly up over those of 2005," he says.
"Most wines are in the $15 to $40 range."
Ed Fong at DeVines Wines and Spirits at 10133 104th St., says: "Argentinean wines have been among the hottest products on the shelves for the last two years. We're up between 120 and 150 per cent in that period."
Echoing the point, Satesh Narine at Crestwood Fine Wines and Spirits says: "I can't grow my Argentinean wall of wines fast enough."
The simple formula to Argentina's success: great value for money.
Good news for the neophyte and aficionado: Gummer is helping organize A Taste of Argentina on Wednesday, May 6, at the Sutton Place Hotel. Some 150 wines can be tasted. "We are now having to turn interested agents away," he says.
(The event is in support of the Edmonton Jazz Festival Society and the Edmonton Jazz Orchestra will perform. Tickets: $60. Call 780-420-1757.)
A good Sauvignon Blanc is selling for $13 or $14 these days. Many Argentinean offerings suggest a New Zealand nose and citrus-herb taste profile, but at the entry level, they are not as complex.
Malbec, introduced to Argentina in 1868, rules the red wine roost and respectable offerings usually begin at a couple of dollars more.
No question Argentinean Malbec reigns as one of the best bangs for the buck. Thin-skinned Malbec doesn't ripen well in its native Southwest France. (It's still grown in Cahors and in small amounts in Bordeaux.) But on the Andean plateau in Mendoza, hot, dry days and cool desert nights rule. Lovely, silky wines are the norm.
On the nose, Malbec often suggest violets, plums, spice and blackberries and has a smooth, elegant, not-soaked-in-oak palate with smooth tannins.
Torrontes has just taken off and some are hailing it as the new Pinot Grigio.
The grape, thought to have been imported by Basque settlers, is being claimed as a native Argentinean grape. But like Malbec and its native France, Torrontes is nothing like the Torrontes of Spain.
It has Muscat-like aromas and tropical fruits on the intense nose. It is usually light to medium in weight, bone-dry and with good acidity.
Torrontes is a good patio sipper that pairs well with Asian cuisine, fish and seafood dishes.
Argentina is the fifth leading wine producer in the world and its wines have improved greatly. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and many other international varieties are now in the mix.
The Vitis vinifera vines were first introduced to Argentina from Spain in 1541, but it was always locals who consumed most of the country's produce. It was made for quantity and not quality.
After hyperinflation, running at nearly 1,000 per cent in the 1980s, Argentina began in the 1990s to focus on export markets. Fly-in winemakers from France, California and Australia arrived and brought modern viticultural and winemaking techniques, such as yield and temperature-controlled fermentation and the use of new oak barrels.
Argentina has more than 1,600 wineries and many are beginning to compete in the premium wine category.
"Some stunning blended wines offering great value have started to arrive," says Narine. "Beautiful, plummy Malbecs are being blended with Cabernet Sauvignon for backbone and Merlot is added to make them round and soft."
Says Bill Tanasichuk of Bin 104 Fine and Spirits: "The sleeping giant is awake. Watch out for him, or her, to shake the wine world."
DIARY DATES
Tonight: Great Shiraz can be tasted at You Betcha'r Ass -- It's Jazz and Shiraz at the Red Piano on West Edmonton Mall's Bourbon Street from 6:30 to 9 p.m. It's a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. Tickets are $60 at the door; butlered food.
Friday, May 8: Aurelio Fernades, honorary Portuguese consul in Edmonton, joins Westin Hotel chef Michael Brown to stage a winemaker's dinner in the Pradera dining room featuring Portuguese wines and Alberta regional cuisine. Aussie David Baverstock, winemaker from Portugal's Herdade do Esporao, will discuss the wines. Call: 780-493-8908.