Wine Tango

(aka The Andes are HUGE, Part II)

When I say “Argentina” what is the first thought that comes to mind…?   Well, there’s The Tango (check), and Gauchos (check), Evita Peron (check), and Carne Asado Argentino (oh baby, Big Check).  And, of course, MALBEC!  This is a wine blog after all.  (Side note: you may want to add “Scorpions” to your Argentina Checklist.  No, not the German rock band.  Let’s just say that I get a little worked up when I find a cricket in the house, so you can just imagine the high-pitched, dog whistle-like scream I let out when I spotted the scorpion in the bathroom one night of the trip.  Exactly.) 

View from hotel room, codename: Scorpion

Where was I….?   Ah yes, Malbec.  By far the most widely planted red grape in Argentina (with 84,000 acres under vine), it makes up over 30% of all red grapes planted.  Once a very important part of the red Bordeaux blend (along with Cabernet and Merlot), it is still the backbone of the wines from the Cahors area in South West France.  Malbec was brought to Argentina in the mid-1800s and basically given a new lease on life in Argentina.  If picked before maturity, Malbec tends to taste herbaceous and astringent.  But given the warm climate and abundant sunshine in Argentina, it allows the Malbec grape to reach its true potential – full-bodied, deeply colored, rich and spicy, with dark fruit flavors, juiciness and a velvety texture.

France may be the place of origin of the Malbec grape, but Argentina is where Malbec truly shines – it is now home to nearly 70% of the Malbec vineyards in the world.  But there is much more to the Wines of Argentina than Malbec.  The more medium-bodied and juicy red grape Bonarda (#2 behind Malbec in plantings at 17%) and the floral white Torrontés (19% of white) are also regional specialties.  Chardonnay has also had much success (15%), as well as Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Syrah (12%).  And there are some extremely interesting sparkling wines coming out of Argentina as well.

Most of the winemaking regions of Argentina have a hot, arid, continental climate.  The Andes Mountains (have I mentioned they are HUGE?) provide a barrier from the prevailing Easterly winds and create a significant rain shadow over the area (meaning that the Andes stop the rain from going further east).  Thanks to this proximity to the Andes Mountains, most of Argentina’s wine growing regions are situated at high altitudes in the foothills, with vineyards planted at an average of 2,000 to 3,000 feet. It is the cooler temperatures at these high altitudes that allow the grapes grown there to ripen evenly (instead of becoming overripe), making for wines of consistently high quality.

I would be remiss if we spoke about Argentina and I didn’t mention the name CATENA.  Bodega Catena Zapata was founded in 1902 by Italian immigrant Nicola Catena.  His grandson, Nicolás Catena Zapata, is considered a pioneer of the Argentina wine industry due to his use of European winemaking techniques which revolutionized winemaking here.  Now the 4th generation, his daughter Laura, is at the helm.  She spends six months of the year as Managing Director of the winery in Argentina, and six months of the year in San Francisco as an Emergency Medicine Physician, graduating magna cum laude from Harvard and then attaining her medical degree from Stanford.  (Yes indeed, you read that right:  Dr. Catena.  You go girl.).   Many consider the Catena wines to be the benchmark for Argentina wine.
  

Bodega Catena Zapata

The winery itself is located in an area of Mendoza called Luján de Cuyo, within a Mayan-pyramid inspired building.  Our visit there consisted of tasting the Catena Alta line (Chardonnay, Cabernet and Malbec, all polished, balanced and delicious), the 2012 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino (killer, highest vineyards in the Uco Valley, black currant, licorice, and a little pencil-lead minerality, supple with medium tannins on the finish), and the 2013 Catena Zapata Nicolas (80% Cabernet/20% Malbec, black cherry, black currant, licorice, minty-eucalyptus, lots of structure but needed a bit more time to age).  Like I said, benchmark wines. 

We drove down the road a piece (a BIG piece – as we found out, nothing is a ‘quick drive’ in Mendoza), to an area called Vista Flores, which is south of Luján de Cuyo and closer to the Andes (3,500+ feet above sea level).  There we visited Ernesto Catena Vineyards.  Ernesto is the eldest son of Nicolás Catena and he founded his winery in 2000.  Ernesto has lived around the world, completed a degree in Computer Science and Economy, a Masters in Design in Milan, and a degree in history in London.  He considers himself a “wine poet” and is defined by many as the bohemian side of the Catena family.  Ernesto “believes in organic and biodynamic agriculture and the connection between us, nature and the universe.”

Winemaking within the vineyards (and my fat head)

We walked around the vineyards, through the beautiful rose garden, to the small field winery built in the shape of a comet, then to the giant vine labyrinth.  We even saw where adobe amphorae are filled with wine and buried for one year in the soil, then consumed in a celebration with members of the team in an ancient Inca ritual of reciprocity.  It was magical (and more than a little bit mystical).  We then sat down next to the water for a lovely lunch while tasting four wines in the Ernesto Catena range that afternoon.  First, the Alma Negra “Misterio” Brut Nature Rosé sparkling wine, made in the traditional method (like Champagne) where the 2^nd fermentation takes place in the bottle.  Amazing, fresh and quite dry ("Brut Nature" = no dosage of sugar) with light flavors of strawberry and cranberry.  Delightful.  Next, the Ánimal Malbec, from ‘natural vineyards’ 100% certified organic and biodynamic.  Violets, red raspberry, touch of smoke and a little clove.  Then, the Tahuan Cabernet Sauvignon from old vines, black currant, black pepper, medium-plus bodied with well-integrated tannins.  Last (but not least) the 2015 Alma Negra “M Blend” (M as in Mysterioso), this wine “happened by mistake” with an unlabeled tank, the blend unknown.  Black plum, rich and round with bittersweet cocoa notes.  All different styles of wine, all fantastic and highly recommended. Just be careful not to step on any scorpions. 

Ernesto Catena Vineyards - the Andes in the background

Ernesto Catena Vineyards
Ruta Provincial 92
M5515 Vista Flores, Mendoza
+54 261 4964929

En Fuego in Chile

I wasn't sure what to expect from Chile.  Truth be told, I was more looking forward to the second leg of the trip where we would visit Argentina, just because I had always heard so much more about Buenos Aires & Mendoza than I ever had about Santiago and the several wine regions around Chile's capital city.  

Let me start by saying -- the Andes are HUGE.  After the trip, people would ask how it was, and I kept opening with "the Andes are huge!" and they would just laugh at me like, yeah, no kidding, you idiot.  But I will continue to say it -- they were gigantic!  Along with the coastal range, we were encircled by mountains in Santiago.  It was completely breathtaking and majestic and humbling and beautiful, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not capture a decent photo that did the mountains justice. (HUGE!)  

After a fabulously unique dinner with friends at Sarita Colonia in the Recoleta neighborhood of Santiago the evening before, we began the two hour drive south to Colchagua where we had an appointment at the Montes winery.  THREE AND A HALF HOURS LATER, we finally arrive at our destination (because, when they have traffic in Chile, apparently they really have traffic in Chile -- full stop, people turning off their engines and out of their cars and chatting on Ruta 5).  We missed our appointment and I was cranky and hungry and my tenth grade Spanish is, ah, no bueno.  I couldn't communicate with the woman at the gift shop that we were very sorry (disculpa?) for being so late (tarde?) and we were stuck in traffic (atasco?) for hours and...um, what should we do now out here in the middle of nowhere? Luckily, my husband has mad Charades skills (and much better Spanish), so we figured out she was trying to tell us there was a restaurant down the hill on the same property, we should go and have almuerzo (lunch! I knew that one!).  Do you know the saying 'when one door closes, another opens'...?  

looking down the hill from Montes -- notice the smoke

Behind door number two: Fuegos de Apalta.  Yes, we were in Chile, but the chef behind this hidden treasure was none other than famed Argentine asado extraordinaire, Francis Mallmann.  Mmmmmm asado. There is nothing better than a perfectly flavored, perfectly cooked steak from an open fire to make you forget your travel woes.  A glass of Montes Carmenère made my afternoon complete.      

Asado

 
We finally did get a modified tour of Montes after lunch (which was so kind of them), and later that day we were lucky enough to have a fabulous tour of Lapostolle's Clos Apalta, arranged for us on-the-fly by friends in Santiago.  But that is a story for another day.  Right now, I want to sit back and remember the most delicious steak of my life. 

Mr. Wine Girl and his clean plate

Wine Girl: Origins

(Hey, if Wolverine can have an “Origins” story, so can I, dammit)


The Age of Enlightenment

Almost twenty years ago now, when I was living in NYC, a friend of mine worked as a writer for a prestigious national magazine.  She used to get invitations to book readings on a regular basis and -- me being an avid reader -- she would often invite me along.  One such event was the launch of a book about wine, written by a rather dapper gentleman from the West Coast named Dennis Overstreet.  At this point in my life, I was living in a teeny-tiny 5^th floor rent-controlled walk-up studio apartment and could barely afford $1 happy-hour beer at the seedy bar across the street.  Buying a nice bottle of wine from a fancy wine shop wasn’t even in the realm of possibility, so the wine book itself didn’t interest me too much.  But my friend told me that we would be Tasting Wine *FOR FREE* at this reading, to which I quickly said “I’m in!” as any type of free booze was manna from heaven in those threadbare days.   

Overstreet's New Wine Guide, 1999

The event was at an exclusive cigar bar/club in the penthouse of a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper.  Thinking back now, I am sure I was woefully underdressed (but in my head I was très chic, a hipster before that word became common).  Dennis came out and starting talking about wine, and much of what he said was literally a foreign language to me.  He was so excited to tell us about wine and why he was so passionate about wine and sharing how brilliant wine can be that he actually started JUMPING UP AND DOWN with enthusiasm.   Whoa, hold on.  I looked around at my fellow attendees and laughed nervously.  Was this guy insane?  He was sure acting like it.  What a kook!  Would we like to try some Champagne, he asked.  I remember thinking “bleh, not if it's that awful Cold Duck stuff from New Year's.”  Dennis pours what he said was his favorite Champagne:  Krug.  I took my first sip, and…. well, it was like an epiphany.  The choir started singing, angels were playing trumpets, the clouds parted with golden rays of sunlight, the whole shebang.  Ah ha!  So THAT’S why Champagne is so famous!   THAT’S why Dennis is jumping around like he’s on a pogo stick!  THIS is why people drink wine!  EUREKA!  And so began my journey into the wonderful world of wine, and my life would never be the same.   

(Sidenote:  Legend has it that when the monk Dom Perignon “invented” Champagne, he said “Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!”  Although the events of that story are probably a bunch of hooey, I can totally get behind the Brother’s sentiment about Champagne.  It is always a go-to beverage for me.  Sure, when I’m celebrating something momentous, but also when I’m exhausted at the end of a long shift, or when I’ve just made a big bowl of buttered popcorn, or at the Polaris lounge at the airport, at the start of a meal, at the end of a meal, anytime, anywhere, day or night.  It awakens my palate and makes my mouth so undeniably happy.  Ah, Champagne!  Je t'aime, mon amour!)

What’s In A Name?

While we are discussing Origins, I must also address the Wine Elephant in the Room:  the moniker “Wine Girl.”  Yep, it is true, I am no longer a girl.  Haven’t been for quite some time.  But Wine Person sounded a bit vague.  Wine Grrrl…ah, just no.  Wine Woman gave me visions of Wonder Woman, and truthfully, I’m a little too lumpy to wear leotard at this point.  Wine Middle Aged Lady Who May Qualify For A Senior Citizen Discount Sooner Than She’d Like To Admit seemed a bit too, I don’t know, wordy?   For several years I had worked at a wine shop, and one customer in particular (who obviously could not remember my name) would always greet me with “hey, Wine Girl!”   Same said customer also convinced me that I should start a wine blog.  And so, a few years later, The Adventures of Wine Girl was born.   So, thanks, Mr. Montepulciano!

Nope, I can’t remember his name either.         

Germany...It's Complicated

I'm not going to sugarcoat this, folks.  German wines are complicated.

So, the thing about most European wines is that they hold where the grapes are grown above everything else.  That is why so many European wines are named after an actual place (region, village, vineyard) and not after the grapes that are in the bottle.   Barolo, Margaux, Rioja, Chianti, Sancerre -- all places on a map, regions or towns you can actually visit and get your touristy drink on.  The French call this “terroir.”  Terroir takes into account climate, soil type, landscape, grape variety and other winemaking factors that contribute unique characteristics to the wine produced there.  In short, Barolo can only taste like Barolo because of where it’s grown (southern Piedmont), from a specific grape (Nebbiolo), in particular soils (lime-rich, clay based), and aged for a specific length of time (minimum of three years), yadda yadda yadda.  

And that brings us to Germany, the High Altar of terroir.  (Um, please don’t tell any French winemakers I just said that -- they all think of Burgundy as the High Altar, so let’s keep this between us, okay?  Cool, thanks).  Now, remember when I said “Germany…It’s Complicated”?  Well, here we go, hold on to your lederhosen.  There are four different quality levels of German wine.  From highest to lowest:  QmP, QbA, Landwein, Tafelwein.  In this post, we’re going to concentrate on QmP, or Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (translated as “quality wine with specific attributes”).   Still with me?   Good.  When you see a German wine label with a lot of stuff written on it, chances are, it’s a Prädikat wine and the producer is trying to tell you what these “specific attributes” are by explaining what town it’s from, the vineyard name and how ripe the grapes were when they were picked.  Oh yes.  In short, they are trying to be very specific about the terroir.  There’s that darn word again.

One of the places we visited on a trip to the Mosel Valley in Germany a few years back was Selbach-Oster, where we had the pleasure of meeting with Barbara Selbach in her home in the village of Zeltingen (husband Johannes was away filming with famed importer/writer/Riesling Guru Terry Theise).         

Weingut Selbach-Oster, Zeltingen, Germany

Barbara tasted several wines with us from different quality levels and different vineyards, and then showed us the cellars (attached to the back of their house) where they age some of their wines.  It was pretty amazing to see that these famous wines are literally homemade.  We tried three Rieslings from the village of Zeltingen which have "Zeltinger" on the label (meaning "from Zeltingen").  So, think of someone from Berlin being called a Berliner or a food from Hamburg being called a Hamburger (Frankfurt...? Frankfurter!  You've got this!).  Each of the three Zeltinger wines were from a different vineyard (Schlossberg, Sonnenuhr and Himmelreich), each with different soil types that accounted for differences in flavors and textures. According to Barbara: Schlossberg = steep, more soil mixed with slate, more 'masculine' style, Sonnenuhr = shallow, more slate, more elegant and 'feminine' and Himmelreich = deeper soils with slate and loam, a 'fatter' wine.  Crazy, right?  

Overlooking the village of Zeltingen from the Sonnenuhr vineyard

Okay, we are on the home stretch... with Prädikat wines, there is also an indication of how ripe the grapes were when picked.  Without going into too much detail (we've come so far, I don't want to lose you now!), there are six levels of ripeness, from low to high: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein.  IN GENERAL (but each producer has their own style), the lower the ripeness level, the wine tends to be (but not always!), less sweet.  Has your head exploded yet?  

Let's review:  

Wine pictured is from Producer Selbach-Oster.  Vintage (year when grapes were harvested) is 2012.  It is from the town of Zeltingen (Zeltinger) from the vineyard Schlossberg.  It is made from Riesling grapes ripened to a Spätlese level, which would USUALLY mean, it has some sweetness to it, right?  However, this label also says trocken….. Trocken means "dry."  Have I mentioned that German wines are complicated?

And now, a word about sweetness and German Riesling…

The vast majority of German wine that makes its way to the US is made with the white grape, Riesling.  And of that, a good portion of those bottles have some sweetness to them.  And so, most US wine consumers believe ALL RIESLING IS SWEET.  Not true!  Riesling from Germany range from bone dry to dessert-wine sweet, and everything in- between. Do not confuse Fruity with Sweet.  A Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand can be fruity but dry; a Pinot Noir from the Russian River can be fruity but dry.  So can Riesling!  Austrian Rieslings are typically dry, and most Alsace and Australian Rieslings are usually dry.  And some German Rieslings can be fruity but DRY, too.  (I wouldn't lie to you!)

Now, ladies and gentlemen, behold -- the secret of how to determine how sweet your Riesling will be.  First off, as we saw above, if it’s a German Riesling and it has the word “Trocken” on the label, that means it's Dry.  Period.  Easy peasy.  But not many German labels spell it out right there for you, so you have to look further.  On the label, there will always be a % ABV (Alcohol By Volume).  If that number is between 7.5% - 10.5%, it means there will be some level of sweetness in the wine, the lower the sweeter.  Above 11% = less sweetness to dry (during fermentation, it is the sugar from the grapes that gets converted to alcohol, therefore, if there is less alcohol in the wine it means more sugar stays behind, unconverted -- or what we call in the wine biz, residual sugar.  Ah HA!).  Of course, there are a few caveats:  1) this is not foolproof, but it does work the majority of the time and 2) this works for German wines, yes, but not necessarily for all wines, for example, Port has 15%+ ABV and it is sweet.  Okay, it is produced differently (because it's a fortified wine, something we’ll tackle at a later date), but hey, cut me some slack, I’m trying to get y’all to drink some dang Riesling here without hearing the complaint that ALL RIESLING IS SWEET.  All righty, people, I'm getting off my soapbox now...drink more Riesling !!

Weingut Selbach-Oster
Uferallee 23
D-54492 Zeltingen, GERMANY
phone: +49 (6532) 2081
www.selbach-oster.de

Spanish Love Affair

I love Spain.  There, I said it.  The wine, the food, the people, the landscape, the weather…it’s pretty much a wine lover's dream come true.   

You know when you go into a new situation and you have such high expectations and inevitably there is no way that your imaginings can quite live up to reality?   Right.  Lucky for me, I had zero expectations travelling to Spain for the first time.  Now, granted, you have to understand that what I do for a living is buy wine.   So when you meet someone who makes wine, well…naturally, they want you to buy their wine.  So they’re going to be nice to you.  Sometimes, they’re even extra-special-nice to you.  It just makes good business sense.  I’ve been lucky enough to visit Spain three times now, twice for work and once for fun (hey, who’s kidding who -- they were all fun) and I have always had an amazing time, without fail.  And so, this is just the first of many posts that will be about the wines of Spain.   

VIÑA SASTRE, Ribera del Duero
Winemaker and vineyard manager Jesus Sastre has some of the oldest vineyards in the Ribera del Duero region of Spain.  He believes in organic and biodynamic farming - aka, no pesticides or chemical fertilizers, following the phases of the moon for planting, pruning and harvesting and being 'at one with the land.'  Yes, it sounds a little hippie-skippy, but, dang it if it doesn't work.   


Jesús Sastre in the vineyards

As serious as he is about making good wine, he is just as serious about having good food, good friends and good times.  Within five minutes of meeting him, we were out in the vineyards drinking wine out of a porron (picture a glass watering can --- FOR YOUR MOUTH).  It allows a group of people to communally share the same bottle of wine without...well, without getting mouth cooties all over the glass.  See here:

Not as easy as it looks, my friend.  On my turn, I ended up with most of the wine all over my face.  You live, you learn....and you laugh while you try again with wine on your face. 

Jesus had amazing wines, from his youngest 'Roble' to his single-vineyard Pago de Santa Cruz.  The signature Ribera del Duero grape Tempranillo -- known in these parts as Tinto Fino -- grows differently here on the high-elevation plateau (2300+ feet!) of Ribera del Duero than it does in other parts of Spain.  Warm daytime temperatures combined with cool evening temperatures and limestone and clay soils add depth and complexity to the wines produced here.  Some of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world are found in Ribera del Duero, namely Vega Sicilia, a neighbor of Sastre.  The Vina Sastre wines are seriously concentrated, spicy and fresh.  I can't recommend them enough. 

Bodegas Hermanos Sastre
www.vinasastre.com 

SUPER Natural

Sicily is a vast and beautiful island...where the roads aren't always clearly marked...and the GPS tends to crap out just when you need it most.  In other words: I got terribly lost trying to find Azienda Agricola Occhipinti.
 
Down almost to the southeast coast is an area called Vittoria where Sicily's only top-designated DOCG wine, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, comes from.  It is here that winemaker Arianna Occhipinti grew up, surrounded by wine.  At 16, her uncle Giusto asked her to help pour his COS wine at his stand at the Vinitaly wine fair.  Bitten by the wine bug, she studied winemaking at the University of Milan, and in 2004, at just 21 years old, Arianna made her first vintage of Occhipinti wine with the one hectare of vines that surrounded her house.



Arianna Occhipinti

Arianna is a staunch 'natural' winemaker ("SUPER Natural!" she emphasizes when I finally locate her house).  She uses only natural agricultural methods "to allow complete expression of the grape and wine without chemical intervention."  Her wines are true to this vision.  Made with the indigenous Frappato grape, they are bright and fresh yet dense and complex with flavors of red berries, sour cherry, wild herbs and white mushroom.  Oh, and did I mention ridiculously delicious?  Yes, SUPER delicious. 

Occhipinti vineyards

"I value the biodiversity of the vineyard. It’s exactly this that excites me and interests me. Each year expresses the traits of that year, each year is unique." 

Azienda Agricola Arianna Occhipinti
info@agricolaocchipinti.it
Tel. +39 0932 1865519 / +39.333.6360316

And so it begins...

Each January, I typically write myself a new resolution list -- with entries that I have every good intention of keeping, but almost never do (Exercise More!  Learn Italian!  Finish Painting Bathroom Ceiling!).  This year, the list included "Start a Blog!"  

I'm not entirely sure where this crazy idea came from, seeing as I am not a big believer in Facebook-slash-Twitter-slash-Whateverisnext, because -- does anyone really care that I ate an excellent turkey sandwich for lunch?  But I recently reconnected with an old friend and mentioned what I've been up to for the past few years, and afterwards I realized how lucky I have been to travel to different countries, meet fascinating people from around the world and taste all sorts of amazing wine, and I wanted to share that with whomever would listen.  

And so it begins...

Overlooking the village of Piesport on the Mosel River in Germany