Wine Whines

Mendoza, the next Hollywood?

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:48:00 +0000

Lights, camera, grapes! Grapes? The bodegas of Mendoza have made it to the limelight in the form of a major motion picture from Argentina. El Camino Del Vino is a docudrama that will tell the story of the real Charlie Arturaola having a fictional crisis of wine. Only a few of Mendoza’s many wineries will be featured, and it is no accident that Domaine Jean Bousquet will be one of them.

Regular readers may remember the story of how I came to be at Jean Bousquet, for the rest of you let’s just say it was fate that brought me to the foot of the Andes. The very first thing to cross my path as the newly minted Director of Hospitality was this movie. It would seem that fate was not quite done with me yet.

Nicolas and Sabastian Carreras had a vision of a movie that would not only highlight the amazing bodegas of Mendoza but would be entertaining in its own right. They cast the world renown sommelier Charlie Arturaola to star and convinced other notables such as the world’s best known wine consultant Michel Rolland to play themselves.

The plot revolves around Charlie loosing his palate during the Masters of Food & Wine event here in Mendoza. In a panic Charlie realizes that the only way to regain his ability to taste and discern the nuances of wine is to reconnect with the passion that originally inspired him. It is with this goal that Charlie ventures forth on the Wine Roads in search for that allusive quality that took him to the pinnacle of his profession, only to abandon him cruelly and publicly. Fortunately for Charlie this is all a bit of fiction.

When I first heard about the project I knew that Domaine Jean Bousquet would be the perfect fit. Visually it was ideal, with the majestic views of the Andes at their best in the Tupungato region and the quaint family owned organic vineyards and rustic bodega as a backdrop. Add to this the incredible story of Jean leaving France after a successful career as a winemaker, in search for the ideal conditions that only Argentina could offer. The movie people didn’t know it yet, but they were dreaming of a location like ours.

It almost didn’t happen. The offer to talk to the producer and pitch our winery had been put on the back burner and forgotten about. I happened upon it and fervently set out to make a pitch for our part in the project. My passion came through on both ends and soon I had the Bousquets and the producer of the movie as excited as I was.

After a few preliminary site inspections the day came at last to film our portion of the movie. It was early March, and every morning prior to filming had been typically cloudy with no sign of the looming mountain peaks. Whoever is in charge of the weather was obviously in favor of our endeavor, because the morning could not have been more perfect. Tupungato and the other peaks rose into the crystal blue sky, commanding attention. It was almost as if they knew the importance of their part in the show and like any seasoned veteran were ready and able to play their rolls on demand.

The film crew spent time with Charlie against the backdrop of the Andes and got plenty of footage with the whole Bousquet clan. They filmed Jean sharing his story with Charlie and even got Anne Bousquet and her husband Labid to pick some grapes and interact with the plot. I had my moment of fame, but I would not be at all surprised if my two-seconds ends up on the cutting room floor. All told it was exciting and a great deal of fun, with the crew becoming part of our extended family, as so many visitors to the winery do.

Principal photography is now over, and the hard work of editing and post production looms, but there is plenty of incentive to get it right. The most prestigious film festival of them all, Cannes, has already accepted the movie as one of its selections. This is just the beginning of the festival tour the movie will attend, as it makes its way from one continent to the next before finally being released to the public some time around November 2010.

The film Sideways always comes up when talking about wine movies, as well as it should. Sideways single handedly changed the drinking habit of millions of wine lovers and it put one of my favorite regions, Santa Maria, on the map. El Camino Del Vino has the potential to do the same for Argentina, Mendoza, Tupungato and especially Domaine Jean Bousquet.

Oh, oh, oh, O2

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:33:00 +0000

For years my debates over wine have mostly taken place at the august levels of academia, or at least with wine pros. Now that I am the world's most over qualified wine guide most of my skills of rhetoric are aimed at consumers.

I like to think of myself as a scientist. I don't actually get to work in the winery's lab, but every time I walk pass it I look at all the bubbling concoctions in the glass apparatus and think to myself how cool it all looks. Chances are it would look less like fun if I actually had to do all of that hard work, but from outside looking in, it is fascinating.

So, not a chemist or even a lab rat, but a scientist none the less. I regularly test assumptions, and wield reason like a sword. My debunking has ruffled more than a few feathers on this blog, and in other journals as well. Now I take my aim at a most controversial subject.

That the roll of oxygen in the aging process of wine is even controversial surprises me. My great hero, the late Emile Peynaud spent decades experimenting with wine and he stated unequivocally that wine ages without the presence of oxygen, and that a hermetic seals is most desirable.

Since I extoll the virtues of experimentation over the pronouncement of experts I certainly do not fault those that wish to prove the veracity of the roll of oxygen. I think somewhat less of those who just take it for granted that oxygen is required for wine to age.

The debate often hinges around screw caps and corks. There are those who state that a small amount of oxygen travels through the cork and helps wine age. Screw caps being perfect hermetic seals do not allow this passage of O2 and therefore are not well suited to aging wine.

Those in the O2 camp will go so far as to suggest that gas permeable membranes should be used in screw caps to allow for better aging and to lessen the chance for the wine to develop reductive odors (more on that soon).

For those that know, or want to know, a whole lot more about the chemistry involved, start with one of the most important aspect, the redox potential.

Reductive odors in a practical sense are nasty rubber smelling off odors that hopefully you will never experience in wine. If you ever come across a wine that smells like that try putting a piece of copper (a penny will work) into the wine. If the smell goes away the odors were indeed the result of reduction. If not it was another similar off odor.

Since the copper trick works even before bottling, there is no excuse for a winery to release a wine with that has this fault. In all my years I have only come across it a few times.

One of the ways a winery can ensure that the wine doesn't smell like a shower cap is to give it plenty of oxygen during the wine making process. For wines aged in barrel the small amount of gas that passes through the wood, combined with careful racking (moving to new barrels) is usually enough. For wines that don't see wood, it is not uncommon to let the wine splash about before bottling.

If a winemaker is complaining about reductive odors in their wine, it may be more a matter of winemaking that is to blame than the hermetic seal of a screw top.

As is my want, I have taken a long winded approach to get to the point I wanted to make. I am about to apply a bit of logic to the argument about oxygen and wine aging.

Oxygen turns wine brown (just like the bite out of an apple turns brown).

To say that oxygen is required for aging wine is to say that an aged wine should be brown.

A brown wine is not considered good by any measure, therefore oxygen is not beneficial to the aging process.

I would expect someone to point out that it is a question of degrees, and that some oxygen may be beneficial while too much is not. To them I would reply, how much exactly, and how do you ensure that said amount and no more or less is introduced to the wine?

I usually toss around big words like esterification when talking about wine aging (the reaction of alcohol and acids) but I honestly don't know about the roll of oxygen in the process one way or another. No doubt it will come up in the debate.

I really want to hear from others more learned on the subject, although few have deigned or dared to debate me on this forum, but I always welcome it.

Screw caps are a good thing because they keep air, including oxygen out. I have yet to be convinced that any seal less than hermetic is as good or even better.

Stressing Out

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:39:00 +0000

For the last six months I have been busy creating a hospitality program for Domaine Jean Bousquet here in Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina. It hasn't left much time for blogging, but I have managed to mull a few things over in my mind as I play tour guide.

I have long subscribed to the axiom that you don't really understand a subject if you can't explain it to a complete novice. This has been regularly tested as I explain the details of wine making and grape growing to a range of people with wildly different levels of experience in and around wine.

Specifically what draws me to the keyboard today is the concept of stress. It is common to hear vineyard people talk about the importance of stressing the vines, but what exactly does that mean, and why would it be important?

Vines are stressed in several ways. Poor soil, lack of water, and pruning are among the most important. It seem counter intuitive to plant grapes on soil that wouldn't sustain most other crops. It further boggles the uninitiated to learn that water is doled out to the vines in miserly proportions. The pruning thing is usually a step too far and honestly few people do more than nod when I mention it.

So why treat the vines so badly? Why not give them everything they want? After all it is the vines that produce the grapes that make the wine that we sell to make a living. Common sense would suggest that happy vines make lots of happy grapes which in turn will make lots of wine to sell.

The equation actually works out. If what you are after is quantity then by all means spoil your vines with loads of everything they could ever desire. On the other hand if what you want is quality then be prepared for one of life's constants, quality is diametrically opposed to quantity. Raise one, and you lower the other.

Ok, so stress is good for quality, if not quantity, but why?

It is easy for us to forget that grapes are offspring. They are the children of the vine, and its best chance to reproduce, that strongest of all biological imperatives. In years of plenty almost everything in nature puts less energy into reproduction. Instead it takes advantage of the climate and conditions to grow and improve itself, rather than the next generation.

For vines this means that with plenty of fertile soil, lots of water, and abundant leaves the grapes it produces are relatively watery, fat and flavorless. This requires less resources for the vine and is all that is necessary to ensure the future.

Plant the same vine in poor soil, reduce the amount of water it gets, and cut back some of those leaves, and the vine will put all of its energy into making sure that its offsprings are dark and flavorful, increasing its chances for reproducing (by attracting birds).

Better grapes make better wine, even if it is a trade off with how much wine you get. It is this careful balance between quantity and quality that all wineries struggle with. Great wine is a goal, but if you don't make money you are not going to get a chance at another vintage.

A simplistic explanation of a complicated issue to be sure, but it is an important way to think of it as you look over those rocky fields with their near non existent top soil that marks all of the best vineyards in the world.

Appearing Daily at Domaine Jean Bousquet

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:53:00 +0000

Three months ago I let you know I was moving to Argentina. I wish I could say I had mastered Spanish in that time, but stumbling through it is more accurate. Not that this has stopped me from putting myself in a position where speaking the language is an issue.

I am now the Hospitality Manager for Domaine Jean Bousquet in Tupungato, Mendoza. I am in charge of visits, including tours in any language I can muster.

The fun doesn't stop there, I am opening a tasting room with a small restaurant in it. We will serve a very nice little cheese plate for those who just want a nibble with their wine. A selection of tapas will be available for a slightly larger appetite, while sandwiches, quiches, omelets and crepes round out the daily menu.

Not one to rest on such a simple note, I will also be sharing my famed 7 course food and wine pairing extravaganzas for those who give me enough notice. Not quite up for a full 7 courses? Then the basic 3 course pairing menu is for you.

Friends, family, students and others who have sampled my fare may be surprised at the basic bent of the menu. My philosophy is that too many chefs over reach in their offerings. I would rather elevate simple foods so that they are done so well that they reach the level of gastronomy.

That and boy oh boy am I going to have a tiny kitchen. It is a tasting room after all, not a full blown restaurant.

Even if you just want to come by for the best Taco you have ever had, or one of the only Croque Monsieurs in all of Argentina, reservations may be a good idea. If you are hoping for one of the wine tasting menus, reservations are a must.

For a tour in English (or slowly improving Spanish) and a bite of food unlike any other in the country drop me an email for a reservation to sreiss (at) jeanbousquet.com (replace the (at) with @ and close up the spaces).

Argentina, My New and Future Home

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:35:00 +0000

After a whirlwind year of touring wineries around the world, and frequent posts, I have been noticeably absent from this venue. Where I am I and what am I up to is easy to state but hard to predict.

We have returned to Argentina. We enjoy the wine, the country and the people here so much that we have decided to make it our home. For how long, and what it will lead to remains to be seen.

We are staying in Tupungato, my favorite part of the Mendoza wine region. Nestled against the Andes with 6,570 meter (21,555 ft) peaks looming just over our heads we feel completely at home after decades of living in the Rockies.

Unlike the years I spent in Aspen, here I am surrounded by vines and well immersed in the wine culture. It is the depth of Winter here now and the vines are dormant. In a few months I will be able to witness their cycle on a daily basis. For all of the years I have been teaching and writing about wines, I have never had this opportunity.

I have seen each stage, and dutifully recorded it in photographs (more often than not with my wife Janet Engelhard who is a photographer). There are few mysteries for me when it comes to vines or making wine, but being there full time is far different than visiting now and again.

What I will be reporting on from now on is hard to say, although considering that there are almost no wines in the area that are not local, chances are this blog will start having a noticeable Argentinean bent.

My wine school too is on hiatus. I doubt I could teach the same sort of courses here, since I don't have the wines from around the world as an example. That doesn't mean I won't be able to create a new curriculum, and chances are that I will at some point.

If you are planning on a trip to Mendoza, and I recommend you do, feel free to contact me to ask for suggestions, tips or just to say hi. Consider me your contact in this up and coming wine destination. Bring your love of wine, and if you are a meat eater, be prepared for plenty of it, but most of all bring your sense of adventure. Argentina will supply the rest.

Argentina: Wrapping it Up

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:36:00 +0000

Argentina is coming to a close, as is for that matter our entire year long adventure. It has been an epic journey of wines around the world, and it is fitting that we finish with what to my great surprise is the best. I knew the wines of Argentina were decent, after all I had tasted a few before coming here, but I was not expecting what we found.

It turns out that Mendoza is a veritable oasis for wine making. At least for the varieties that do well here. There is well drained soil at high altitudes with enough difference from one region to another to add complexity to the wines. Malbec is the undisputed champ here, and while I have enjoyed other varietals, it is the Malbec that Argentina is rightfully known for.

I am a lover of Zinfandel. Those big jammy wines at reasonable prices that represent for me the best that a drink now style of wine can offer. Malbec is Argentina's Zin. It can be big and jammy, or like Zin in can be made in many other styles. Unlike Zin the other styles are also quite successful.

Style is exactly what makes Malbec so enticing. We have tasted at least 50 different styles from 25 different producers and every one is distinct. Like Pinot Noir in Burgundy, Malbec in Mendoza is very sensitive to the terroir it is grown in, and the hands it is made by.

When Malbec is produced with an eye on structure it is a surprisingly decent candidate for aging. I have tried many that go back seven or eight years, a point to which my revered Zinfandel rarely survives to. More astonishing is the 35 year old example that tasted like a well aged Bordeaux, and still has plenty of life in it.

Big and jammy is what I crave in a Zinfandel, and as it turns out, in a Malbec. Often accompanied by a black pepper aroma and finish, these intense wines are a fruit lover's delight. With just enough structure to keep them from being flabby, they fill the mouth with delicious flavors and keep you coming back for more.

If fruit is your thing, you also want to try a Bonarda from Argentina. Once the most planted grape here and intended only for use in the sea of indifferent red wines that Argentina used to produce, Bonarda is finding its way into some well made and serious wines. And yet, for all the world it tastes exactly like grape juice.

A little too much like grape juice for my taste. Those who are fans of these wines applaud the fresh grape flavors and extoll the virtues of the grape. I don't exactly count myself a fan, although I understand the appeal. I tried a sample that was 10 years old and it had layers of complexity from softening tannins I never even knew were in there. It gave me more respect for the grape, even if I don't exactly love it.

Torrontes is the white grape of Argentina, and here we turn from fruit to perfume. A highly floral wine with a tart finish in most examples, although more than a few I have tasted have had acid added to accomplish the necessary structure. Almost everyone agrees that this grape is best when grown well north of Mendoza in the Salta region, but I suspect as more cool growing areas open up, Torrontes will find a new home.

Espumante, the local phrase for sparkling wine is another winner in Argentina. The quality is decent, and the prices are very good. This is not Champagne, but it does easily rival anything made anywhere outside the august region of France. The low prices may not survive the many hands involved in exporting and selling abroad, but if these wines ever do make it to your shore, make a point of trying a few.

Then there are the up and coming grapes. Merlot here is hit or miss, but I have tried a few versions with potential. I know of at least one producer that is convinced that Merlot is the future, and he may be right. Certainly Cabernet, which is as ubiquitous here as anywhere, is not the answer. They are decent enough, but nothing to write home about.

Pinot Noir is mostly relegated to the sparkling wines, and rightly so for the most part. I have tasted a few that are not bad, but Pinot is a tough grape and a tough wine. Energy may be best spent elsewhere. The Pinot I have tried tends to be light, but with a dark component that doesn't so much add complexity as it changes gears abruptly.

Sauvignon Blanc is another hit or miss example. Without acidification it is hard to get a decent balance, and with it it is hard to get a decent wine. I have had a few very good examples, so it is possible, but I think t requires more attention and patience than some are willing to give. Above all it needs the cooler growing regions.

I have tasted a few bottles of Tempranillo here, and they were good. Not once did a any of the score or more of wineries I visited present their Tempranillo for tasting. I think it is a red headed step child of the country. Full of potential but a completely different style of wine than they are used to handling or enjoying. That is a shame, because from what I tasted it has possibilities.

Hot and dry makes me think of Grenache, and judging from the few test plots here and there, I am not the first. Alas, the extremely cool nights interrupt the ripening and it never quite gets the color or intensity here that make it so interesting in the south of France or the north of Spain.

There you have it, my look at the wines of Argentina through the lens of three months of living among the natives and visiting their bodegas. The tiny glimpse I had from tasting the few examples that had made their way to the US was far from complete enough for me to see the full picture. The Argentinean spectrum of wines is diverse and complex even while relying on just a few choice grape varieties.

Run down to your local wine shop and put together your own tasting, or even better yet, call up your travel agent and start working on your own visit down here, below the equator and nestled up against the Andes. Plan on escaping the dreary winter of 2010 with a trip to sunnier climes with even warmer people and fabulous wines to explore. They will be waiting for you.

On the Question of Ethics

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:19:00 +0000

There is a bit of a buzz going around the wine blogosphere about ethics. It started in part because of a post from Dr. Vino and led to among other things this post from the inestimable Jancis Robinson.

I am no Robert Parker, nor Jancis Robinson, but this does not mean that I do not have my own code of ethics I strive to live by. In general I am very careful to not accept anything from a winery or any wine company. I pay for the wines I taste unless they are being offered to everyone at a tasting, and I generaly do not accept any form of hospitality.

I say generally, because on this trip around the world, it has been somewhat a different story. I am driven to the wineries who almost always also offer us lunch. There are a few ways I rationalize this in my own narrow scope of ethical standards. First and foremost every winery that we visit is offering us the same treatment, ensuring that there is not one over another that I would feel beholding to.

The second and most important factor is that I am a ruthless critic. I can easily taste a wine, smile at the winemaker, and perhaps even say something diplomatic about the wines, and then come back to my keyboard prepared to write the truth as I see it.

This trip has cost us a small fortune, and the wineries are far afield. I could have just written about the wines we buy, and indeed I keep them separate in my reviews, but that would only have given a small glimpse into the wine regions, especially Chile and Argentina.

Some wine reviews are only conducted blind, and there is a lot to be said for and against this. First there is the definition of a truly blind tasting, it has to be double blind that is sorted by random to really qualify, in my opinion. It is easy to orchestrate a blind tasting to favor a result. Assuming that the tasting is as blind and fair as it can be, some wine styles tend to do better than others.

A big heavy wine will tend to stand out and if there are many heavy ones, the fruitier, easier to enjoy wine may stand out. Every blind taster has a story about how one of their favorite wines has failed to do well in a blind. Some of this is because removing prejudice is the point of a blind tasting, and some of it has to do with the fact that the criteria of what we drink is not always the same as what we look for in a blind tasting.

I am all for removing the variables that effect a tasting. I go out of my way to train myself to taste in as objective a way as possible, but I am only human. I taste blind when it is possible, and open when the circumstances dictate it.

How do you as a reader judge my efficacy? Simply by deciding for yourself that my taste is similar to yours. If our palates are compatible then you can trust my taste and tasting notes, if not, look for a different critic. I have been giving this same advice for the 19 years I have been writing about wines. And considering how many of my newsletter readers are still with me, for them at least I am providing a valuable service.

The flack on wine writing ethics started not because anyone did anything wrong in accepting a trip to a wine region, but because it was against their written and stated code of ethics. If you are going to have a code, you have to stick to it.

My code? I only accept hospitality when I am going to accept it from everyone equally. I will whenever possible spend my own money to acquire and rate wines. I will always be transparent about any connections to a winery and where I got the wines I am rating. I will remain brutally objective and loyal to my readers first, and that the proof of this will always be my ratings themselves.

I have a great many friends in the wine business, because that is the circle I travel in. Most of these people are friends in spite of what I have said about their wines, not because of it. There are also those that I have become better friends with because I am enamored of their wines. This too is only natural, since I tend to want to hang out with those that have the best wine. When I write about a friend's wine, I always say so.

So yes, I have accepted lunch and a ride to visit the 40 or so wineries I have been to here in South America. It really helped the budget, but it didn't cover the many of thousands of dollars in airfare and hotel bills. It is enough outside my ethical comfort zone that I feel compelled to mention it, but not so far outside I want to apologize for it.

We all have to look to our own conscience when it comes to ethics. The fact that I think about it at all may be to my credit, but on the Internet even more than in a printed journal I believe that you are only as credible as your actions. I applaud those that have brought this thorny issue to a fore, and hope that I pass their standards, but more importantly, that I pass yours.

Argentina: Restaurant / Store Review - The Winery

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:23:00 +0000

Buenos Aires sports some 10 of the modern wine shops called simply the Winery, but there is only one in Mendoza, It is located in a historic house in downtown, just a few blocks from the Hyatt. The building is beautiful and is a fitting location for this homey style wine destination.

Each varietal has its own room, with the wines prominently displayed, albeit with most a tad more vertical than I like to see. Be sure to push on the cork to ensure it doesn't budge from having dried out before selecting a bottle.

The collection of bags and containers for moving around bottles was almost as impressive as the huge number of wines available. I found myself thinking about what I could use them for before realizing that there was no way one more item was going to fit into our scant luggage.

While you can choose any wine from the store and bring it in to the cafe, we went ahead and ordered a moderate wine from their list. The list itself is small and easy to read, but has some helpful clues as to the better bargains for the uninitiated.

To accompany our bottle of Malbec, we picked a few different types of tapas from the menu. The dishes were well prepared and reasonably creative but after all were just tapas. The service was courteous and professional, which shouldn't be notable in of itself, but after some earlier experiences in the city, we were delighted to see it.

The patio looked as if it may offer more in the way of an elegant dining experience, but it was a chilly autumn evening and we were not about to sit outside. During the day, or in the usually warmer evenings dining al fresco would have been a pleasure.

If you are visiting the city of Mendoza you would do well to visit the Winery if for no other reason to familiarize yourself with the huge variety of producers and varieties of wines available. Pick a bottle that intrigues you and settle in for a comfortable meal in surroundings that are soothing and welcoming to the wine lover in all of us.

Argentina: Earth and Altitude

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:22:00 +0000

Terroir is a word that is often used and almost as often, overused in the world of wine. It refers to the combination of soil and climate that makes one wine region different from any other. I cut my teeth in wine on a little part of France called Burgundy. There the tiny vineyards each have characteristics that vary from minute to extraordinary. The primary catalyst for this change is the soil, although other factors such as a well placed wall or even a tree can make a difference.

It is because of my study and love of Burgundy that I became a true believer in the effect of soil on the vine. Living in the New World I also noticed a huge difference in climate. The wines of Sonoma are decidedly different than those of Napa, and Santa Barbara's cooler weather often makes its wines fruitier than either of its northern neighbors.

So it was that I came to Argentina with plenty of experience in the effects of terroir, and I was delighted to find that here it is not just a buzzword, but a integral part of the wine making philosophy. Several of the better wineries have captured the unique conditions in their Malbecs, bottling wines that emphasize the terroir of Mendoza.

In California, and even Chile the temperature of a growing region is often dictated by proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Argentina has one of the highest mountain ranges in the world between it and the ocean, but it is these very Andes that make all the difference.

Altitude is the key to climate here and the soil variations are also a direct effect of the looming mountain peeks. Deep sandy loam, calcareous and even alluvial soils all rest on beds of stones that allow the drainage that the vines so desperately need. The depth and composition of the soils have a huge impact on the flavor characteristics of the grapes.

Just to the east, of Mendoza away from the altitude of the Andes the Maipu region and their alluvial soils produce wines with rich tannins and soft fruit. Just south of Mendoza in the higher Lujan de Cuyo region its loamy vineyards influence the vines to have subtle but noticeable tannins with moderate fruit. Further south still and closer to the mountains in the high altitude Uco Valley is the town of Tupungato, the newest, and to my taste, most impressive region.

The grapes grown in the loamy soils with their calcareous layer in Tupungato have a huge mouthful of fruit that makes them taste completely different than the same grapes grown to the north and east. For some the lack of structure and tannins in general in these wines can be seen as a fault, but I fall into the more fruit the better school. The wines are not without structure, it is there, but their fruit driven style is amazingly prevalent.

Even the wineries that bottle wines from separate regions or individual vineyards often will make a blend of the best of these areas. Like creating a perfect stew they add the more tannic wines for structure, the acidic wines for freshness and the fruitiest examples for flavor to create a complex whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Only 10 to 15 years ago the wines of Argentina were often indifferent. Made to satisfy an internal market that could never get enough wine, but were not particularly picky about the quality of what they drank. The renaissance in winemaking that brought an influx of capital and technology to this country also brought with it winemakers and visionaries that were searching for individual expressions of fruit that only specific terroir could afford. They found it in spades.

Argentina: Restaurant Review - Azafran

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:29:00 +0000

Everything we read, and everything we heard said we had to try Azafran restaurant in Mendoza. Frommer's calls it "charming" and the service "convivial." Trip advisor places it #1 out of 28 restaurants reviewed in Mendoza and rates it 4.5 out of 5. Viva travel guides raves "it’s hard not to enjoy Azafran."

The premise can best be described as an upscale deli with an emphasis on wine. There is a wine room where you go to pick your own bottles, in lieu of a wine list. They specialize in cheese and meat plates as a starter, and the place is certainly very busy.

Perhaps it is because of our expectations, or it may be that we prefer a different style, but we were not thrilled. It wasn't awful, buy any stretch, but it came nowhere close to the hype.

The service was cursory and unprofessional. I had to point out repeatedly that the water glass they gave me was cracked, they just kept putting it back in the wait station and one after the other servers kept trying to give it back to me. They don't believe in giving you new silver between courses, so like a lowly diner they just throw your dirty fork back onto the table.

The food was passable, but not much better. The potatoes for all the world tasted like they were instant. They may well not have been, but they sure did taste that way. I had potatoes stuffed into an onion, and my wife had them stuffed in the ravioli. Despite the different descriptions they tasted remarkably similar, and unremarkable.

We had a camembert baked in puff pastry with jam, but the cheese was bitter and was only made better with the addition of the jam. Alas, there was at best a drizzle of jam for looks, hardly enough to make the dish palatable. It was served with a bed of bitter greens. Someone likes bitter a whole lot more than I do.

My first choice of appetizer was not available so I settled for a trio of empanadas. They were ok, but despite their exotic descriptions, blood sausage, sweetbreads and a onion and sausage filling, they were not much more interesting than the ubiquitous offerings from every other restaurant. The presentation was on a cutting board which did nothing to enhance the experience.

No doubt we would have enjoyed the charcuterie plate better, as that is one of our favorite types of nibbles, but we have that almost every night at home, so we wanted something different.

The menu selections I had read about sounded quite enticing, but the night we were there none of them were to be seen. Instead we opted for steaks, which is what they do best here in Argentina. They were fine, but nothing special, and not as good as the steak joint around the corner from us. The one nod to making the fillet more interesting was a slathering of goat cheese. Perhaps if the afore mentioned potatoes had not been so disappointing the main courses would have had a better reception.

The wine room was fun to look around in, but there were people seated in there, making it hard to get to some of the wines, and it made me feel like I was interrupting their night. I ended up to rushing to making my selections, instead of taking the time the fine collection warranted. The wine steward was charming and graciously confirmed that my choices were ideal. He then disappeared and allowed a more clumsy assistant to stumble through the service.

The din of the diners and the people looking around at the shelves of products behind our table did nothing to improve the ambiance, nor did the door that wouldn't close and let in the cold night.

My research promised me choices like deer, lamb or rabbit ravioli in champagne sauce, none of these were to be seen. They didn't even have anything remotely like the sweet potato puréed in a light cream sauce I had read about.

We had high hopes, spent a pretty penny, and really wanted it to be a special night. Instead it was passable and nothing I would go out of my way to recommend.

Argentina: A Pair of Characters

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:19:00 +0000

The sheer variety of wine is one of its greatest attractions for me. There are many possible styles, although too many wines seem to pick a safe middle road that is sure to get high marks from the most influential wine writers. I prefer wines that are an expression of the winemaker, the culture and of course the terroir, that ever elusive sense of place.

Here in Argentina I have tasted many wines and visited many wineries, with that many more yet to come. Two approaches come to mind as I think about wine makers expressing their styles. Both of these are exciting wineries to me because of their willingness to move from the mainstream to express their vision of wine.

Bodegas Lopez adheres to a traditional style of winemaking that has all but disappeared from the planet. This 4th generation family owned winery ages their red wines for up to 15 years in oak casks and another 5 in bottle before release.

The result is a range of products that have the well aged character that few casual wine drinkers ever get a chance to experience. At the entry level the wines start around $7 but have several years of aging. The longest aged wines are still offered for as little as $40 and because these top wines are from the finest lots and vineyards, they actually taste younger than the lower priced wines.

The opportunity to taste these well aged flavors usually requires great expense and or time. Here Bodega Lopez has taken the expense and time on themselves, allowing you to reap the benefit of their dedication.

Make no mistake about it, dedication is exactly what is required. Aging wines for so long requires a huge facility with scores of giant casks. It also means the expense of holding on to wines for so long and the careful tending of them over all of that time. Few wineries are in a position to age wines more than a year or so, even if they wanted to.

Lagarde is another winery steeped in tradition that like Beodega Lopez was founded in the 19th century. Lagarde's adherence to tradition can be seen in their hand processing of their champenoise style sparkling wines, and their careful upkeep of the centenarian edifice that houses their winemaking facilities.

The wine style is thoroughly modern, but not cookie cutter appease the critics modern. Their approach is to create wines that have tangible structure but not at the cost of the fruit. The wines of Lagarde have a distinct style and are noticeably different from so many others from the world over.

One hundred year old vineyards help, but it is the conscious decisions of the winemaker and management that ultimately shape the style of wines. They could easily be making wines to please others, but pleasing themselves is more important.

This does not mean the wines have gone unnoticed, their walls are littered with awards from competitions around the world, and from what I tasted they well deserve them. It just proves that you don't have to make wines to one person's taste to be critically acclaimed, there is plenty of room in the world of wine to demonstrate character and style.

Those middle of the road "safe" wines often decry that they are ensuring profits and salability, and I am well aware that making wine is a business and completely understand why someone would want to ensure that all of their products sells. But the next time you are ready to buy into this excuse for perfectly acceptable mediocrity remember that Bodega Lopez and Lagarde still sell every bottle of their wines, and not just at collector prices but for rates that are far more reasonable than many of their competitors.

Viva la Difference seems a fitting accolade for these wines, even while I want to be sure to point out that I am not taking anything away from the many other great producers in Argentina and around the world that make their own choices. Pleasing me is not the end all in wine making, but if you give these two properties a try you might find that they please you as well.

Argentina: LVMH is Memorable in Mendoza

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:59:00 +0000

Moet et Chandon, makers of Dom Perignon Champagne are one of the best known luxury brands in the world. While I enjoy their wines, my preference in Champagne has always edged towards Veuve Cliquot. Fortunately for Moet's parent company, LVMH, they own both labels, as well as my favorite wine of all, Chateau d'Yquem.

The Chandon brand has a wide appeal around the world, and so it is the moniker that LVMH (Luis Vitton, Moet Hennessy) has chosen for its overseas sparkling wine producers. Domaine Chandon of California and Australia and Bodegas Chandon here in Argentina.

LVMH has so much faith in the Mendoza wine region that they also have two more properties here, Terrazas de los Andes and in a joint venture with the very prestigious Cheval Blanc of Saint Emilion, France, Cheval des Andes.

Bodegas Chandon is not just limited to making fine sparkling wines under their name and their Baron B label, they are also the producers of the Valmont, Latitud 33, 2Voces and Guiado still wines.

In a recent tasting I was able to try quite a few of Bodegas Chandon's sparkling wines and I was genuinely impressed. I tend to judge sparkling wines by the Champagne standard, and these all stood up well. Even better than their California counterparts. Their entry level Chandon Extra Brut is made by the Charmat process but in this case it is a conscious decision to produce a lighter, fruitier style, and not a cost consideration. Their Brut Nature is only one dollar more at $13 and is made using the more traditional champagne method.

Their Baron B line is only a few dollars more and yet it exhibits all of the characteristics of a decent Champagne. Even more remarkable their top of the line Eternum comes in at an astonishingly affordable $50. Since these wines are mostly found in South America, enjoying enough Eternium when you are here could pay for your trip. In a highly rationalized Karen Blixen * sort of way.

Terrazas de los Andes is the premium winery of the group (Cheval des Andes is produced in this winery). Situated in one of Argentina's most historic wine properties the winery is an elegant blend of modern technology housed in traditional surroundings. Here is where visiting winemakers and dignitaries stay while visiting and are treated to fine meals from chef Jose Cacciavillani. A large range of wines are produced at the property, all with utmost care and precision.

Cheval des Andes is an attempt to create a Grand Cru style wine with all that Mendoza has to offer. With old vine Malbec blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Nicolas Audebert and Cheval Blanc's Pierre Lurton are creating wines that can easily stand up to any on the world stage. With the full fruit of a New World wine, and the subtly and elegance of an Old World offering the three vintages of Cheval des Andes I tasted really hit their mark. No less impressive is the refined and perfectly appointed hospitality facilities at the vineyard. With their impeccably groomed vines, remarkable view and adjacent polo field, this is what the home of a New World Grand Cru should look like.

Bodega Chandon, Terrazas and Cheval des Andes are breathtaking examples of what can be accomplished in the Mendoza region of Argentina. The wines are remarkable and the facilities and hospitality no less so.

* I could make you look it up, but for those of you not instantly familiar with the obscure reference, Karen Blixen is the author who wrote under the pen name Isak Dinesen. Her book "Out of Africa" may be what she is most famous for in the US, since it was made into a major motion picture. Her short story which was also adapted into a movie, "Babbette's Feast" is a favorite among gourmands for its portrayal of an unforgettable meal. Apocryphally, Karen Blixen was said to live on a diet of Champagne and oysters, although her biographer Javier Marias adds that this "was not quite true, for she also consumed prawns, asparagus, grapes and tea."

Argentina: Tailored to Taste

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Like the three bears these three wineries are small, medium and large, unlike what goldilocks found there is no perfect size. Each has its advantage and each has their part to play.

Familla Cassone is a small family owned operation where all of the wines are handcrafted and made according to the vision of a single winemaker. The whole family is on on the operation from production to sales. The result is a small run of high quality wines that reflect the vision of the Cassone family, and the terroir of the area.

The boutique wines of Cassone exhibit a quality that is most often found at this level of production. Large enough to make a profit, small enough to be able to give personal attention to every barrel, every lot of wine. This doesn't mean that every wine they make is to my taste, but it does mean it is to their taste.

Andeluna Cellars was founded by the heir to the Frito-Lay fortune and it has that bigger than life feel that only a Texan could inspire. Their goal is to make consumer friendly wines that are primarily sold in the US and to that end they are very successful. The facilities boast an impressive view and just as impressive edifice.

The restaurant too can not help but to impress. A six course meal with a different bread for each offering is a nice touch. Andeluna Cellars is full of nice touches, and the many American visitors it receives appreciate them all. All of this luxury comes at a price. The cost of lunch is high for Argentina and the price of the wines in the US is at a premium.

Trivento is owned by the huge Chilean producer Concha y Toro who's mind boggling scale has been brought to Argentina. This is industrial winemaking at its best. With automated systems and the latest technology. Recognizing how difficult it is to make fine wines with this approach, the premium division is a winery within a winery.

Wine in a box and entry level quaffs require consistency and the economics of scale, but the best wines require a hands on approach and small vilifications. So all of the industrial equipment that goes into making so much of the wine at Trivento is duplicated in a more modest scale for their best wines. The economics also work in the consumer's favor, keeping the cost of the premium wine to a modest level.

The beauty of the wine industry is in the diversity. The many different flavors and the many different approaches producers of all size take towards their wines. Here in Argentina the gape varieties may be similar, but the wines are widely varying in style as can be seen by this trio of strategies .

My taste in wines leads me to prefer the Famillia Cassone offerings, while my wallet is fond of Trivento's wines, and my sense of style and love of luxury will long remember our visit to the exquisite Andeluna Cellars. There is something for everyone within a short drive from Mendoza, Argentina, or an even shorter drive to your local wine outlet.

Argentina: The other side of the Andes

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:27:00 +0000

Argentina is a land of Malbec and beef. The slight tannins of the Malbec work well with the beef, and the simple flavors of the wine match the uncomplicated flavors of the unadorned meat. Of course meat is not the only food here, a rich Italian heritage has brought with it pasta, and the Spanish background is responsible for Tempranillo.

These are just many of the flavors I hope to discover as we explore Argentina for the next few months. The diverse people, culture and wine scene promise to give me a glimpse of South America that I have yet to experience.

In Chile I was able to visit many wineries and taste many more wines. The result of which is my new ebook "Exploring Chilean Wines" that is now available for sale and download. I am hoping to have the same opportunity here in Argentina, and maybe even squeeze in one more stop while I am south of the equator.

The joy of grilled meat for the Argentines has almost more to do with texture than taste, and so their wines too have been chosen for texture. The ubiquitous Malbec, which is far and away the preferred variety in this country is a wine with a great deal of texture.

In France, Malbec can be found in Bordeaux going by the name Cot where it is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and or Merlot. It is also found in the region of Cahor where the inky dark wines are legendary.

Malbec made its ways to the shores of Argentina centuries ago where it has come to produce a less intense wine than in Cahor, but one that is still notable in color and mouthfeel. At its best it has hints of leather and tobacco with layers of dark cherry fruit.

Since many of the Malbecs are offered well under $10 plenty of examples are simply red wine of little note. Even in these simple versions Malbec has proven to be worthy of distinction as it keeps these value priced wines from being either too tart or too fruity.

Tempranillo is an altogether different grape. At home in Spain it is responsible for some of the nation's top wines. Here in Argentina, it is produced less than Malbec, but from what little I have seen so far, is usually given a reserve status and decent chance to shine.

As I have entered each country I have shared my first impressions. Ultimately, I have found much more than a glance can show, and so too am I waiting to see what Argentina has to offer. There are plenty of wines, restaurants and adventures to come, and by the end of my stay I will have a better inkling of what Argentina is all about.

Chile: A Final Look

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:49:00 +0000

Our time in Chile has drawn to an end. These 10 weeks have been a great eye opener. I have discovered the Chile I was hoping to find. Not only are the well known value wines here, but so too are an increasing number of higher end quality wines that the world needs to know more about.

By far and away two things struck me the most about Chile. The first is the size of the vineyards and wineries, and the second is the fact that in this country they are looking forward towards the future, instead of relying on their past. The first may be changing, and the second is why.

Chile is wine production on a huge scale. We visited a single vineyard that was almost 5000 acres. And it was only half of their holdings. Compare this to the whole of Burgundy's 13,500 acres or Oregon's 13,700. And this is just one large producer. A medium sized grower here has about 1000 acres, and that is more than the whole acreage of a large California producer like Mondavi.

To combat the industrial scale of these numbers the best large producers have teams of winemakers that keep the different levels of wine separate. It is like having several wineries under one roof. That way the finest wines can still be made with the hands on attention that a small winery can afford to give.

Everywhere we went the wineries speak about how they are experimenting, and how much more they have to learn. This is a pleasant contrast to so many other regions around the world where you are more likely to hear about their traditions and how they make wine like their predecessors did. Making great wine works, no matter if you use the most modern or the most ancient techniques, but striving to improve yourself or your wine always gets my vote.

It is this predilection to forward movement that will propel more small wineries into existence. 20 years ago there were only a handful of wineries, and they were all industrial sized. Now there are closer to 200 properties and they range greatly in production. The smaller artisanal efforts are just starting to appear, and I expect to see the trend continue, and the general level of quality to continue to improve.

The hospitality we received was remarkable. Everyone that we visited went out of their way to make us comfortable and to take care of us. We made some great friends on the trip and look forward to having the chance to see them all again at some future date. While we only got to the chance to visit less than 10% of all the wineries, we got a look at a good cross section of the market.

With our thanks here, in alphabetical order, or those wineries that played host for us:

Anakena

Anityal

Casa Lapostolle

Casas del Bosque

El Principal

Hacienda Chada

Huelquen

J. Bouchon

Perez Cruz

Portal del Alto

San Estaban

San Pedro

Ventisquero

Vina Haras de Pirque

Vina Tarapaca

William Fevre

We also want to give special thanks to the two wine stores that took the time and went to great expense to hold private tastings for us. El Mundo del Vino and Wain. With their help we were able to expand our understanding of the wines of Chile beyond just the few wineries we visited.

And final thanks go to the ever hard working Andes Wines without whom we would never have had the opportunities to explore as much of the Chilean wine scene as we did. They put together the tastings, introduced us to the community and garnered a good deal of press for us. Not willing to rest on their own laurels, they have already begun to work their magic for us in Argentina as well.

I am hard at work on two books about our Chile adventures. The first tentatively titled "Exploring Chilean Wines" will be a well organized ebook with the scores of wines that I tasted on this trip. It will be the first time an American has published such an exhaustive look at these remarkable wines.

The second book, with the working title of "Visiting the Wineries of Chile" will be a guide for seeking out these wineries for yourself. It will be a lavish publication with some of the more than 3000 photos my photographer wife Janet Engelhard took in Chile.

Off now to Argentina, for even more adventures on the Wine Road Less Traveled®!

Chile: Restaurant Review - A Smattering of Eateries

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:57:00 +0000

Santiago, and Chile in general, is undergoing a gastronomic renaissance. New restaurants are springing up left and right, and the new flavors and experiences they bring are most welcome. Some of the restaurants are truly doing their part to raise the bar, while others are simply expensive versions of the same old thing.

Here is are few of the establishments we tried, some new, some that have been around for awhile. This is hardly a complete list of the culinary scene but it will serve as a glimpse of what the city of Santiago has to offer.

Las Condes

Just a few steps from the El Golf Metro stop there are three restaurants almost next door to each other that are all worth visiting.

The first is Adra, the dining room of the Ritz Carlton. Here chef Tomas Oliveira is bringing a flair to classic dishes of Chile. With an eye for plate design and a desire to update the foods he grew up with, Tomas is one of best of the new breed of chefs in Chile.

Across the street Dale Taylor is holding court at her Akarana Restaurant. With one of my favorite wine lists in the city, she has brought a little of her native New Zealand cuisine to Chile. Creative pizzas are served at lunch while fine selections of fresh seafood and meats can be enjoyed in the evening.

Only one more block down the street you will find the Danubio Azul (Blue Danube). This palatial restaurant is serving what may well be the best chinese food in the country. The unusual name reflects the restaurant's past. It once offered continental dining before changing directions for the Far East.

Vitacura

This trendy part of town is a must for any lover of all things gourmet. Fine shops and restaurants abound. Next trip to Santiago we plan on spending more time in this intriguing neighborhood.

Osadia Restaurant was one of the most memorable that we visited during our stay. Chic and modern with a decent, albeit terribly overpriced wine list, the food here was fabulous. The fare was on a par with some of the best restaurants we have visited around the world.

Tierra Noble was one of the most frequently recommended locations and so we approached with what may have been too great an expectation. The chef was away on vacation, but it is hard to say if his presence would have helped the over priced and almost boringly simple dishes we were served. The approach of the restaurant is to emphasize the flavors of the food without drowning it in sauces. I applaud the concept, but not the execution. Ungarnished meat that tasted as plain as it looked did nothing for us. What was priced as and advertised as Colby beef was no more tender than what we get in the local supermarkets for a fraction of the cost.

Bellavista

A mix of artists, university students and the see and be seen crowd haunt this part of Santiago. Most of the restaurants have sidewalk tables, and the flow of people only increases as the wee hours approach.

Como Agua Para Chocolate (like water for chocolate) is a great name, and the dessert was fun, but not as wonderfully chocolate as you might expect. The food was simple, and over cooked in the Chilean tradition, but at least it was well priced. A moderate establishment that has the good sense not to over reach and hits what it is aiming at.

I loved the concept of De Tapas y Copas, and I really enjoyed the decor. Alas, the wine list was uninspiring, and the food no better. The lackluster service and poor attention to detail spoke of mismanagement. Our whole party was disappointed and our Chilean guide felt it necessary to complain. Perhaps they will get their act together, because sipping wine and nibbling on many different tastes should be one of life's great pleasures. A quick look at reviews online show that our experience was shared by many others.

Chile: Vina San Esteban / In Situ - A Beacon of Quality

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:02:00 +0000

Sometimes everything comes together just perfectly. A winery that doesn't have to outgrow its comfort zone because it is family owned. Vineyards that were planted on the hillside, a decade before it was fashionable. Grape variety and clone choices that many advised against, but ended up working out.

This is the legacy of Vina San Estaban winery in the Aconcagua Valley north of Santiago. Originally, the family grew fruit and grapes for others. This can still be seen in their thriving table grape business. Now they have to buy grapes to meet the demand for their lower end wines. The estate grapes go into their own In Situ line.

In Situ literally means in place, and while the term refers as much to the archeological finds on the property, that can be view "in place" it is also appropriate for these wines which reflect a sense of place more than most. One of the local hieroglyphs grace the label and it is a strong reminder of the people that have lived in this valley, not only thousands of years ago, but for the last few generations.

They have managed to carve a world class winery operation out of the steep hillsides they have planted with vines. The 2,400 feet of altitude help keep the grapes cooler than most vineyards in Chile, but it is the attitude, more than the altitude that is most refreshing.

As with so many others in Chile the winemaker and vineyard manager at San Estaban are not content to leave well enough alone. They are constantly striving to find new and better ways. Where they rise above the norm is in the execution of their desires, and how it is reflected in their wines.

New wine drinkers tend to enjoy the obvious flavors of oak, and so too do nascent wine drinking regions. Chile is at this point of their evolution, as the US was not long ago, and Australia even more recently. The market here clamors for over oaked wines with hardly a hint of fruit. Many winemakers recognize that the need to propel more of the fruit flavors, but few do much about it, driven by market realities.

San Estaban has solved this problem by simply exporting almost all of their wine. Except for visitors to their estates, you can only find the wines in Europe or the US. Not feeling compelled to create a wine style that would sell well in Chile Horacio Vincente Mena has taken his family's winery to a world class level.

The wines are a near perfect marriage of structure and fruit, with oak playing a supporting role instead of the all too often lead. Here the ubiquitous Carmenere of Chile has found a champion who understands how to balance the potentially overwhelming green flavors without loosing the character of the grape.

With a strong emphasis on organic farming and keeping yields lower than what almost anyone else in this country would consider viable, Horacio is making the wines in the vineyards without having to resort to the heavy handed practices of so many of his contemporaries.

Acidification is a common in this land of great heat and over ripe grapes, but Horacio has sought balance by allowing some of his crop to remain less ripe, thus adding acidity from the grapes, and not from chemistry. The results are evident in his wines which have the layers of complexity I have been searching for throughout Chile.

I came here in quest of the future of Chile. Hunting for those that recognize the potential of this mammoth wine making region. Many have glimpsed the future that lurks just ahead, but Horacio Mena and Vina San Estaban are living examples of what can be done.

Cooler vineyards, careful attention to growing practices, a light hand in the winery and a scale that does not have to resort to the industrial methods employed by the enormous wineries that dominate the industry here. These are the keys to quality, and for many it may remain out of reach as long as they continue to make inexpensive wines for an unappreciative local market.

Chile has a great future as a world class producer, but until the Chileans themselves learn to demand quality over quantity, and are willing to pay the difference, craftsmanship may remain the purview of those few who eschew their own market.

It is not only San Esteban that has learned that their wares are most appreciated overseas, almost without exception all of the wines I have been most impressed with are created with these foreign markets in mind.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Exporting brings money into the country and is great in an age when so many are looking for ways to prop up their economy. None the less, we have already heard the laments of the locals that all of the great fruit that is produced here can only be found in supermarkets abroad, and so it seems, that the best wines too are not to be found at home.

Chile: Wine Store Review - Wain

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:22:00 +0000

I have been in a lot of wine stores. From the mom and pop liquor shop that grudgingly carries a few bottles of indifferent wine, to the mega-mart style of outlet that does their best to stock everything under the sun.

Most of the best fall in the middle, small enough to give personal service, but large enough to have a decent selection. I recently visited a shop that is on the larger side, but it was more than the diversity that made it stand out.

In the upscale Vitacura neighborhood of Santiago a new player in the wine biz has just opened. Wain's visual appeal from the outside beckons you. As you walk into the store you are greeted by a modern open style of merchandising that is equally pleasing to the eye.

Looking more like an art gallery than the ubiquitous overcrowded bottle shop, Wain goes to great lengths to make their visitors feel at home. The wines are arranged by variety, over two floors and each in their own room. The temperature controlled wine bars in each section are your next hint that this is not your average vinous vendor.

Indeed, almost every wine they sell can be sampled before purchase. An outdoor seating area even allows you to taste in a relaxed comfort that seems more akin to a cafe than a retailer.

Tall tables for standing and sipping make it easy to stroll from room to room, sampling as you go. The decor is easy to look at, but my one complaint is that the wine is not. The sensual dark woods and dim lighting make for great ambiance, but without anything white to look through your wine at it is hard to judge its color.

A handy napkin or iPhone can solve this problem, and I am probably one of the few who would balk at this omission. For most guests the overall effect is one that is perfectly conducive to enjoying the usually daunting task of purchasing wine.

The selection is almost exclusively Chilean, as is the case for most wine stores in the country. Imports are all but impossible to find here. The price range is also typically Chilean. This boutique treatment is afforded to as many wines under $10 as over.

Time will tell if the consumer appreciates the approach of Wain as much as I do, but it is a great attempt to remove the fear inherent in wine shopping, and I am all for that.

Chile: Wine Economics 101

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:01:00 +0000

A full month of wine tasting and visiting wineries in Chile has done little to dampen my enthusiasm. I am more than ever a fan of the wines here, with a few caveats. The most notable of which is that the wines here are good in the "drink now and enjoy without scrutiny" class.

As it happens, this is one of my favorite classes of wines, and I believe it is the most important for consumers. The big expensive "age and wax poetic" wines get plenty of press but are not really what most people drink every day.

I have had a few age worthy wines, but even these fall much more into the 5 to 10 year range than the 20+ style of tannic, huge fruit and acidity types. It also means I haven't run across the "so hard they will never age" genre that too many producers in other parts of the world make.

The talk among the winemakers here is that the hard tannins of the 20+ wines are very difficult, if not impossible to achieve in Chile. They blame the ubiquitous heat. Certainly heat here is a huge problem that they are just starting to address.

Newer planting is being concentrated on microclimates that are a degree or two cooler than the existing vineyards, but the really cool regions are still being mostly ignored.

The coast (of which Chile has an abundance) and the Andes mountain slopes both seem to be obvious areas to explore. Logistics are problematic in that these regions are far from the existing winery facilities. Trucking grapes means cooling and expense, or reduced quality.

High heat also translates to high alcohol. I have heard rumors of experiments with reverse osmosis to reduce alcohol without affecting quality. There has been some promising examples of this is the similarly heat plagued vineyards of Napa, California. From what I have seen this is still something that is being talked about rather than actually practiced here in Chile.

One look at the local grocery store shelves points out the economic realities of the industry. $2 bottles of wine are not uncommon, and the more expensive labels tend to top out around $10. Expectation for the local industry here is much the same as in the rest of the world, well priced, simple wines are what Chile produces.

The higher priced, more complex and dare I say "better" wines are primarily destined for export. The very wines I came to Chile to find are actually more common in the US and Europe than they are at their birthplace.

This has led to a near schizophrenic attitude in Chile. They want to make better wines, but they know they have to export them to get the prices they need, and exporting leads to lower margins. And so, most wineries make a great deal of lower priced wines that help to defray the cost of making and exporting their best efforts.

This in turn perpetuates the market for lower priced wines in Chile. Since the local market doesn't get to experience what a few dollars (or in some cases double or more the dollars) will buy, they don't clamor for it. The classic chicken and egg.

This is really evident in the dessert wines. The market will not bear the necessary expense of sweet wines. Since they by definition are expensive to make, they tend to sell for a premium, everywhere but here. Most of the examples I have seen are priced in the $10 a bottle range, and too often that is all they are worth.

I am not expecting Chile to become a powerhouse producer of dessert wines, it is not their future. What is in the cards is greater quality for export, and a slowly growing appreciation for the higher priced wines in their own country of origin. In a nutshell, Chile is good, and getting better!

Chile: Restaurant Review - Divertimento Chileno

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:08:00 +0000

Every city needs a green oasis. In Santiago the Cerro San Cristobal Metropolitan Park rises above the skyline, beckoning the masses to the cooling comfort of its verdant slopes. Perched at the base of the hill is another oasis, this one gastronomic. The Divertimento Chileno restaurant.

Bruno Sacco created the restaurant here nearly 20 years ago, leasing the location from the park. At that time the cuisine was Italian, as is Bruno. As a leading and active restauranteur Bruno hosted various cooking competitions. In what would turn out to be a pivotal decision he held a contest for housewives and amateur cooks.

The result was a wealth of local foods that Bruno realized that his customers might enjoy. Starting with a few dishes the menu of Divertimento slowly switched from Italian to Chilean over a few years. Now with the next generation, daughter Flaminia Sacco as the chef, Divertimento has become the caretaker of the flavors of Chile.

The restaurant itself is deceptively large. From the front the outdoor patio and a small dining room look to be the extent of the seating. Upstairs a huge room which can hold 200 people has long been the scene for some of the most important cultural and political events in the city. This historical significance was recently related in the nation's largest newspaper.

The food is simple and expertly prepared in order to lend a familiar comfort to the many regular diners. Each dish we tried was better than the next. This is not the kind of restaurant that will grace the cover of most gastronomic periodicals, but chances are the editors of those same magazines eat here regularly.

Dining with Bruno Sacco, daughters Flaminia and her sister and the PR manager Michele, we had the wonderful opportunity to sample a great cross section of their menu.

An appetizer sampler included Milcao, a mix of cooked and raw potatoes that in this case was fried and served with with pickled flounder. The platter also held Smoked Salmon, a baked Empenada and Seaweed Ceviche. A taste of the Terrines they make in house were joined by the ever delectable Razor Clams Parmesan and a Long Neck Clam Ceviche.

After this plethora of flavors we tasted family style, a few of their main courses. The Fried Kingklip, like all of the dishes is a classic Chilean offering. Think a huge steak of tender white, flaky fish, deep fried.

The Chicken with Cognac is a twist on a local classic in that they make it for one instead of forcing a couple to share this sultry poultry, served in a crock. The sauce is so good that you are given an espresso cup to enjoy it like a soup.

The Beef Ribs fell off the bone and were wonderfully spiced. Not too sweet and not at all dry. The Creamed Spinach the ribs were served with was a welcome addition. One of my favorite vegetables I find that few restaurants really understand the subtle touch of cream that is needed.

Pastel de Choclo is a corn pie filled with meat and poultry that has to be experienced to be appreciated. The sweetness of the corn is in perfect contrast to the savory meats. Speaking of corn, the Humita looks a little like its cousin the tamale to an American used to Mexican cooking, but instead of dry corn meal it is more like a soft polenta or corn pudding inside the corn husks.

The traditions didn't stop with the dessert. We had the opportunity to try the national favorite Mote con Huesillos which is a refreshing blend of stewed dried peaches and grain, often served as a drink. Turning tradition upside down, Flaminia has taken the ubiquitous Gluhwein, the spiced hot wine that made its way from the Alps to Chile, and turned it into a Mousse. A great combination of flavors and texture as an appropriately summertime cool treat.

If you are looking for the classic flavors of Chile in the heart of Santiago a visit to Divertimento Chileno is an absolute must. You will be as enthralled as I was with the straightforward, but impeccably prepared foods that define a culture.

Chile: The Luxury of Casa Lapostolle

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Like a wine cathedral the Clos Apalta winery rises out of the Colchagua in the Rapel Valley perched on a hill and looking from a distance like orange being offered to the gods. This is no coincidence, Casa Apalta is the flagship wine of Casa Lapostolle, which is owned by the makers of the orange and brandy flavored Grand Marnier.

The incredible gravity fed winery is only part of the reason to visit this stunning panorama. Adjacent to winery itself is the equally impressive Lapostolle Residence. Four "casitas," individual houses, await those who value comfort and pampering above anything as mundane as budget.

For $650 with dinner, or $550 without you can experience one of the finest and most comfortable overnight stays anywhere in the world. The meals are served at a central guest house that is replete with an infinity pool looking out into the vineyards.

The food was as resplendent as the view and the service and staff were uncommonly accommodating. They are ready and willing to fulfill any wish you may have to make your stay even more perfect. From horseback riding to the unforgettable Grand Pisco Sours while resting in the shade your needs are anticipated with a smile.

Once you can drag yourself out of the lap of luxury, stroll the few meters from the guest house to the winery for a tour unlike any you have ever expperienced. Designed to delight the eye as well as perform with simple ease, the Apalta winery is a descending spiral of beauty.

The grapes are given the royal treatment from the moment they arrive. Individual berry selection, usually reserved for the finest dessert wines is the initial step. This removes the ubiquitous stemmer crusher that blind tasting has shown to reduce the quality of their top tier wine.

The grapes are loaded into small hoppers that are wheeled to the top of the vats to discharge their load into the oak fermenters. Cooling coils ensure the control on the inside of the vat, while a bevy of misters and active cooling keeps the room at the ideal conditions.

The tanks drain their free run juice through a pipe system built into the floor, using the most gentle of gravity processes in order to prevent any harm that might come from pumping. The must is placed in a rare vertical press and the press wine is sent off for other endeavors, leaving only the finest ingredients for the Apalta bottling.

Down the spiral stair case to the first year barrel room reveals a sight that is rarely seen outside the first growth houses of Bordeaux. Perfect lines of new oak form a picture that speaks of the care and love that goes into producing the wine.

Another flight down yields the second year barrel room and a beautiful glass tasting table for those lucky enough to take the tour. Below the glass top rests the wine library that fewer still are given access to. Here every vintage of Apalta is stored waiting to be tasted at a much later date.

All of this is built into the solid granite that makes up the surrounding hills, and as if to accentuate that fact a wall of rough hewn granite graces the wine library and the stairwell of the winery. This look into the geology of the region is almost as telling as the obvious effort that went into building the imposing structure. Only a great deal of expense and love could have imagined and produced such a unique facility.

The Apalta Wine, which was recently award with the appellation of "The Best Wine in the World" by a leading publication is only one of many wines that are produced by Casa Lapostolle. In an epic tasting of 16 wines I was able to taste the past present and future of the winery. I was impressed not only by the wines, and the ever capable winemaker Andrea Iriarte but by her deep desire to continue to excel and acknowledgment that there is room for improvement. A typically Chilean attitude that the rest of the wine world would do well to adopt.

Visit Chile, visit the Colchagua where some of the finest wines hail, but above all if you can at all swing it, visit the astounding Apalta Winery and Residence. It is an event that you will cherish forever.

Chile: Restaurant Review - Astrid & Gaston

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:06:00 +0000

The people of Chile revel in their love for simple foods with simple flavors. This may be why one of the most recommended restaurants in Santiago is Peruvian. Astrid & Gaston hails from Peru but has spread out in the continent and even made its way to Spain.

The first impression as you walk into the Santiago Astrid & Gaston is of a hacienda decorated by a New Yorker. Modern and stark meets traditional and homey. The result is more than less pleasing, albeit minimalist.

The menu is like reading a history book as each of the dishes explain their origin or influence. The wine list is almost exclusively devoted to Chilean wines, as is common here, but there were a handful of imports for those who wish to look beyond Chile's shores.

We broke our meal up into several courses, creating our own tasting menu. The staff was happy to suggest a menu of their own, but we were looking for a bit more variety.

We started with a bit of mashed potatoes topped with raw tuna and cooked crab. The sauce was avocado and and sesame oil. The sesame, as it so often does, dominated the dish, but the potatoes helped to soften their effect.

Next up was a sampler plate of appetizers that included ribs and sweet potatoes, a bit of duck a spoonful of hominy corn with an intriguing sauce and a fried potato ball with sirloin beef that was our favorite of the bunch.

Our first main course was lamb. The shank was perfectly cooked with the flavorful meat falling off the bone. The lamb chop was cooked Chilean style, meaning that no matter how rare we ask for it, it still comes out well done. This is a cultural difference, but I can't help but wish I could find someone that knows how to cook meat to my liking in this country.

The next course was another rib, but unlike the dry style form the appetizer this one was glazed in a sticky reduction sauce that blended into the corn pudding to make an irresistible accompaniment.

The restaurant and Peruvian food in general tends more towards fish, but our love of hearty red wines led us more towards the meats.

The dessert was another sampling of flavors ranging from a sweet caramel sauce in a shot glass to a rice pudding. A delectable variety of sticky sweetness.

The service was excellent, especially the wine staff who didn't blink at our request to hold our own little tasting. They accommodated or need for multiple glasses with a fine variety of shapes to keep the wines straight and were more than happy to share their passion and expertise with us.

The evening was a great success with the only real shock of the evening being the final bill. The US dollar is once again doing well so try as we may we were not able to spend more than $300 for two of us, even after four bottles of wine.

Astrid & Gaston is a must visit for anyone in Santiago. Expect an evening of exploration and pampering as you work your way through the intriguing menu and wine list. And say hello to everyone for us.

Chile: A Dichotomy of Practices

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:51:00 +0000

Last week I visited four wineries with four very different points of view. A bulk producer in search of a newfound quality identity, a modern winery with an eye on tourism and two giants that have recently merged to create a monolithic presence.

J. Bouchon situated in Mingre in the Maule Valley is an old style hacienda with a suitable rustic looking winery to match their style. The facilities sport epoxy lined cement tanks in a white washed room, kept cool by the meter thick walls. This is all a facade of sorts as there is a modern production area situated just feet away.

Bouchon's history is that of a producer of indifferent and bulk wines. A history they are working hard to rewrite. Their top tier wines are terroir driven with a clear sense of identity from the vineyard. They are helped along this path by consultant Patrick Valette who until recently was the owner of Chateau Pavie in Saint Emilion.

In a rugged landscape of steep washes they carefully apply modern vineyard management in stark contrast to their bucolic setting. The results are good and improving. Expect to see their very best wines appear on the US shores with world class quality and pricing.

Casas del Bosque is well aware that their location in the Casablanca Valley, just an hour from the bustling metropolis of the capital city of Santiago affords them great opportunities for tourism. From their ample parking for busses and cars, to their very fine restaurant and meeting facilities, they are well prepared for visitors.

Even their barrel room is a show piece, designed to delight the tourist, while a few steps away beyond the ornate doors the real business of wine, with all of its unglamorous mess takes place. The wines too are designed to be crowd pleasers, and they hit their mark on all accounts.

The vines here are planted on their native roots, a testament not only to the lack of phylloxera in Chile, but to the mindset that ignores any possible benefits that root stock my give. Similarly the well manicured rows of vines seem to be planted more for ease of maintenance than with the heat of the sun in mind.

The wines are none the less fresh and modern, although the team seems to be struggling to find their ideal style. Experiments with oak aging may be going too far as one of the best wines I tasted was still in barrel and ready to be bottled, but the plans are to leave it for some time more.

Vina Tarapaca is in a world apart from the other properties of the Maipo Valley, literally. You enter the property by passing through a hidden gate far on a hill top, only to then drive miles through their vast vineyards down to their own little town and production facility. Everything they need from worker housing to carriage houses are sequestered in their private little valley.

The mansion that serves as the guest house rivals anything I have seen the world over. The grounds are replete with a pool, tennis court a four hole golf course and even a private landing strip for visiting dignitaries. Every weekend is booked for weddings and events and it is no wonder given the fairy tale elegance of the grounds.

A huge producer of a wide variety of wines, they still managed to impress me with quality even at the lower ends. The highest end push the price envelope for Chilean wines, but given their complexity and rich style, do so deservedly.

Vina San Pedro dwarfs them all. This 140 year old producer in the Curico Valley is large enough to have recently swallowed up Vina Tarapaca, creating the second largest wine property in Chile. The scale of San Pedro is evident in the 3000 acre vineyard that surrounds the winery. While this is one of the largest single vineyard plots I have ever seen, it is only about 1/3 of their total acreage.

Realizing the importance of keeping their high end wine making separate from their bulk efforts, San Pedro recently added individual wine makers to each facet of their operation. No longer does one person have to oversee everything from their gargantuan GatoNegro line to their very limited premium wines.

The vineyards too reflect the many styles the wines encompasses. On one end we find very old dry harvested vines with their gnarly twisted trunks while at the other end of the property is a text book operation of precision agriculture that embraces satellite maps and organic teas for irrigation.

All of the wineries I have seen so far have in common their desire to produce the best possible wines they can. They are all aware that in the past the wines of Chile may not have lived up to their potential and each property is doing what they feel is important to correct that.

Differing scales and approaches dictate what effort each producer concentrates on, but they all have the same goal in mind, and from what I have seen, they are all on their own tracks towards producing wines they may be proud of.

Chile: Mountains of Wines

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:19:00 +0000

I have been in Chile for more than a week now, and I have visited four wineries and seen five of the nine main wine producing regions and tasted around 50 wines . I am far from finished with my exploration, and I will be posting about the specific wineries in the days to come.

My first impression of the Chilean wine scene is that it is in a state of flux. Years of making big, rather indifferent wines has given way to a newfound search for the holy grail of modern wine, fruit.

The warm weather, mitigated by cooling breezes form the nearby Andes and Pacific Ocean translates to highly alcoholic wines with a tendency not to ripen well. The move to cooler regions and better vineyard practices is rapidly changing the wines that Chile is producing.

Almost everyone we have talked to has voiced their desire to express more of the grape in their wines. This is a trend that I applaud and that will make the wines of Chile that much more sought after on the world stage.

Carmenere is ubiquitous here. This grape, thought for so long to be Merlot, hails form the Bordeaux region of France, where it has long all but disappeared. In Chile it ranges from a rather indifferent red wine full of green pepper flavors, to a powerhouse of rich notes, but often lacking in complexity.

The desire to create a unique identity for the wines of Chile has led many to embrace and improve the Carmenere wines and from what I have tasted they may be on the right track, but the battle is not over yet. The propensity of the grape to produce an overwhelmingly green flavor is a strike against it, but when dealt with skillfully I was more impressed with the results.

Cabernet Sauvignon reigns here, as it seems to almost everywhere. The Cabs of Chile tend towards the softer, more drinkable side. This is all the more appropriate when you consider the low prices that the market allows for these wines. The $3 to $8 range is well populated and the quality in this value niche is much higher than in other parts of the world.

The high end is not completely devoid of players. Most of the wineries we have visited are producing a super blend that pushes the price envelope beyond $30. A price point that keeps the wines off the shelves here, but will be well received abroad. It may be a bit of an uphill struggle as the less expensive offerings have characterized the wines of Chile for most people.

I came here to find out if the wines from Chile are just well priced, or if there were gems that have yet to surface in the US market. With only 10% of my trip behind me I have already discovered the wines I was looking for, and I fully expect to learn about many more in the weeks to come.

Chile: A Glimpse

noreply@blogger.com (Wineguy) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:41:00 +0000

I have only been in Chile for a few days, but my first impression is of a wine rich culture. Akarana, the restaurant I went to for New Years Eve had a fabulous wine list at very reasonable prices. The local grocery store has a decent selection of affordable wines, and even our hotel room had a bottle to try.

When one thinks of Chile, at least from afar, they think of Cabernet and Merlot, usually well priced but with moderate expectations. Those who know their wine might also expect to see the intriguing Carmenere grape well represented. Certainly all that has been my experience, but it is only the beginning.

I have also had a very good Pinot Noir and a late harvest wine made from Muscat and another from Sauvignon Blanc. Clearly Chile is a wine producer with much greater range than it appears from outside.

That is exactly why I am here. To learn for myself what the true Chilean wine scene is about, and of course to report it all back to you. My mission even has the catchy name of the Andean Wine Crusade, replete with logo and a great deal of press.

I will have the opportunity to visit many wineries and regions in the country, and I am greatly looking forward to it. If what you know about Chilean wine comes from the selection at your local store, be prepared to discover a new truth, right along with me.

It may take years before the greater variety of wines from Chile find their way to the US and other shores, but their high quality and low prices make it likely to happen. Countless others have gone before me, but my turn has come to explore the wine diversity of this southern vinous giant, and I am looking forward to being able to disclose what I find.