Argentina is the ffth largest wine producing country in the world and it makes some outstanding wines
Argentina is an amazing country—the people, the various landscapes, and the extreme in weather—and so are its wines, which are generally overlooked by consumers.
I first came across Argentinian wines when I was living in London. A friend brought a bottle of a beautiful Malbec to a dinner I was organizing. She had been visiting the country and brought the bottle back for me, and it was amazing—full of fresh red fruit and silky at the same time—and so different from the French Malbecs I had tried before, I fell in love with it, and I still am. I then went on a road to discover Argentinian wines.
Although, historically, Argentina focused on growing Criollla and Cereza grapes, mostly used for cheap table wines, it has gained a reputation for its Malbec-based wines, and fresh Torrontes, and, in fact, the best Argentinian wine of 2017 was a Cabernet Sauvignon.
When you drink traditional Argentinian Malbec you will enjoy its deep color and blackberry and dark plum flavors. Produced in different styles, the full body high alcohol ones have gained international popularity, especially when paired with a good steak. Young full of fruit Malbec wines are ideal to get the party started, easy to drink, uncomplicated and don’t need food pairing.
However, the full bodied, higher quality Malbecs, which usually have a minimum of twelve months in the barrel, is where people tend to be more impressed: full body, sometimes quite tannic, plenty of fruit and great complexity, making them ideal when paired with roast meats, especially beef.
Although Malbec is the most popular red grape in Argentina, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are becoming very popular. But don’t miss Bonarda, the second most popular red grape in Argentina, which is hardly seen anywhere else, and which deliver fruity interesting wines.
Of the wine producing areas in Argentina, Mendoza definitely wins for both reputation and for producing high quality wines, with around 70 percent of all Argentinian wine being produced in this region.
If you are into white wine, another pleasant surprise coming from Argentina are the Torrontes white wines, and although they have a similar name, have nothing to do with the Spanish grape. They are fresh, floral and very aromatic, while dry or semi dry, bringing the best of both worlds, unless of course, you like sweet wines, as they are usually not.
