Beyond Malbec: Exploring the Diversity and Depth of Argentine Wines

First in a series.

Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard at La Rural in Mendoza

To a very large degree, Argentina is the reason that I developed a passion for wine, and subsequently have gone on to study wine at BU and WSET and contribute to the Wine Dine With Us blog. I took my first trip to Argentina in 2001 and fell in love with the people, the incredible diversity of landscapes, the food, and the wines. I was fortunate to have been able to spend a good amount of time with family friends, and it was with them, over many meals, that I really experienced what some call “wine culture” for the first time. Wine culture, to me, is the enjoyment of wine as an integral part of a meal, consumed in reasonable quantities.  For lunch, dinner, Sunday asados, wine was as much a part of the meal as the grilled meats. Up until then, I had a very rudimentary knowledge of wine; I was more of a cocktail girl.

In the early part of the 2000s, Argentina was a relatively small player in the US wine market. The South American section of a liquor store or wine shop, if there was one, was dominated value wines from Chile. The few Argentine wines hailed from the larger exporters like Trapiche, Catena, Norton, and the Fecovita cooperative. On my several subsequent visits to Argentina, I began to seek out an ever-wider range of wines from wineries not found in the US and to use the wine knowledge that I was gaining at home to better understand them.

While the diversity of wines now available here has increased dramatically, for many wine drinkers Argentina equals Malbec. But there is so much more. Over the next few months, I will be taking a closer look at the many varietals and styles produced in Argentina, from Bonarda to Viognier and from Tempranillo to Torrontés.  In each post, I will look at one varietal or style and compare between two to four wines.

Winemaker Carmelo Patti showing us his old, but still working, pump

I am kicking off this series of blogs with a somewhat unusual wine, the 2009 Bodegas Alma Negra Sparkling Rosé of Malbec. Bodegas Alma Negra was created by Ernesto Catena (of the Catena family, which owns the preeminent winery of Argentina) and Alex Bartholomaus (of the Winebow importing family). Argentina is not known for its quality sparkling wines. The very few that I have found in the US to date are unremarkable and basic, at best.  I can really only think of one sparkling wine that stood out: a Carmelo Patti enjoyed with friends Molly and Cliff in Buenos Aires some years ago.

The Alma Negra Sparkling Rosé is made using the traditional method. The grapes were hand-harvested, and the wine is aged in bottle for 12 months. It is neither clarified nor filtered. This rosé is a very pale orangey-salmon color. It is so pale, in fact, that as the first drops of wine entered the glass, I thought I had made a mistake and inadvertently purchased the sparkling Chardonnay that Alma Negra also produces.  The glass was filled with persistent bubbles.  Lovely fresh and dried fruits are in the nose and on the palate, including strawberry, cherry, and orange. The palate has a pleasant, but not overpowering yeasty quality. It is concentrated, rich, and elegant, with a lingering finish. This is a very good sparkling wine, not just by Argentine standards, but overall for the price.

At Gordon’s Fine Wines on sale for $15.99 (reg. $19.99).

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I hope you’ll join me as we look beyond Malbec, Argentina’s signature grape, and explore the country’s many wonderful wines! And if you’ve tried something interesting or unique recently, be sure to drop me a note at Katrin@winedinewith.us.

Tagged as: Argentina, Argentine wine, Wine