The Beauty and Emotion of Cahors

My guess is that you won't be able to watch the video below, from GrapeRadio.com, without craving a dark red glass of wine and a hearty meal. We'll let the footage speak for itself: It's a beautiful homage to Cahors, the joys of the table, and that magical intersection of wine, food, and emotion. Enjoy.

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Birthday Wine

Today is my birthday, and I face the same problem I do every year: Which bottles to pop open and celebrate with. I was born in 1977, which means I always have the option of opening a bottle of Port from that legendary vintage. Right about now, the 77s are at their peak, and drinking exactly the way I prefer: Delicate, subtle, complex, and astoundingly long on the finish.

But that’s dessert, with a nice side of cheese. For the rest of the evening--or, let’s be honest here: It’s my birthday, and I plan on starting with lunchtime wine pairings--I’m still not certain what to treat myself to today. Definitely some Champagne--and if there’s ever a day to justify Krug, this is it. Plus, it’ll go brilliantly with whatever I have for lunch.

Then I’ll likely move onto a big California cabernet--it’s raining outside, it’s chilly, and few things are better for the soul on a day like this than a glass or three of dramatic Cali cab. After that, who knows. There are some older bottles in the cellar, but most of them aren’t quite ready. I think my best bet is to pop open a bottle from each of the wine regions I’ve visited in the past year--some Sherry, a bubbly or a pinot from Patagonia, some San Juan malbec followed by a bigger bottle from Mendoza.

Big decisions. Any suggestions?

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Back from Argentina

This morning, just a few hours ago, I landed in the United States after an overnight flight from Buenos Aires to Washington, D.C., and a quick hop here to Philadelphia. It will take me a few days to collate my notes, edit my videos, and start formulating a plan of attack to report on everything I tasted. For now, however, I will say that, if you have the chance and the time, a visit to Argentina is a must--it's one of the most beautiful, hospitable places I've visited. And even if you don't, make sure to keep on exploring the country's wines. They are without question some of the most enjoyable and exciting in the world right now, and from familiar favorites like Malbec and Torrontes to less-well-known bottlings of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and more, there is a limitless range of wines to learn and love.

I took the photo above while visiting excellent Mendoza producer Dona Paula, and the one below in our tasting room at Lagarde. It was hard work, but the very best--and most rewarding--kind of hard work. I miss it already.

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Impressions from Mendoza

In the United States, Mendoza is pretty much synonymous with Malbec. This makes sense to a certain extent: Aside from a handful of Bonardas and the occasional other grape variety from this region in the shadow of the Andes Mountains, Malbec comprises most of what we see from here. And it’s not just a matter of export issues: Malbec is king in Mendoza, producing wines that range from gulpable everyday reds to concentrated, complex classics that have the potential to evolve for a decade or more in the bottle.

But one of the big advantages of traveling to a wine region is having the opportunity to taste the grape varieties and styles that aren’t being exported in great numbers, if at all, just yet.

I arrived in Mendoza two days ago, and have been tasting an average of 45+ wines each day. The Malbecs, perhaps expectedly, have been among the best, and I’ll write more about specific ones when I return next week. But there have also been a lot of unexpected discoveries along the way that have changed what I always assumed about Mendoza: A mature Chardonnay - Pinot Noir sparkler from Familia Zuccardi; a single-vineyard Petit Verdot from Decero; a rich, expressive Syrah from Trivento; a toasty Viognier from Dona Paula and a more French-styled, pear-rich one from Lagarde; excellent Bonardas from Argento and Serrera; a spectacularly subtle Semillon from Mendel--the list goes on and on.

The point is this: Keep exploring Malbec from Mendoza and learning about its many styles and expressions, but keep an eye out for other grape varieties, too. Mendoza is a region with all the potential in the world, and in the coming years, you’ll be hearing a lot more about its range of great varieties, styles, and wines. This is, as I suspected, one of the most exciting wine regions (and countries) in the world right now, and all the buzz it’s generating is 100% justified.

As an aside, the photo above was taken an hour ago at a truly memorable lunch we enjoyed at Lagarde. The springtime sun was shining, the food and hospitality were amazing, and the wines, as you can tell from the number of glasses on the table, were flowing freely. What a great place to visit.

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A Day of Discovery and Wine in Patagonia

One of the great joys of traveling is that you never know what kind of experience you’re going to have: You get on a plane, fly through the night, and land somewhere far away from the life you call home. The key, then, is to stay open to the experiences that are thrown your way, and to enjoy them in a context of excitement and, above all, engagement.

Sunday morning, we flew from Buenos Aires to Neuquen, Patagonia, were driven to lunch in the quiet city center, and then proceeded to venture as far off the grid as I’ve ever been, over roads first dusty, then rough-hewn, then unpaved, all to eventually find ourselves at the utterly gorgeous wine resort of Valle Perdido, or Lost Valley--as true a name as any I’ve ever heard.

The browns and tans of the lobby blended perfectly into the surrounding landscape, as did the drapes in my room, their silken burlap textures echoing the just-growing vineyard-land off my patio. The air was scented with the perfume of rosemary bushes, and an otherworldly calm prevailed.

It’s a huge, sometimes overwhelmingly varied world we live in, and discovering it is one of the great inspirations and justifications for travel. In places like this, we find not only environments and lives we otherwise would have no idea about; we also find ourselves.

This is the joy of travel.

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As far as the wines of Patagonia, we spent yesterday tasting somewhere around 45 wines at four different producers. After our first visit, at the wonderfully named Bodega del Fin del Mundo, we were convinced that Patagonia’s future lay in sparkling wine. Then, after tasting the concentrated, endlessly complex Malbecs at NQN, we thought that this most famous red grape variety of Argentina was most exciting here. Along the way, we also tasted standout wines as varied as a late-harvest Pinot Noir at Familia Schroeder and some seriously well-crafted Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc at Humberto Canale. (These are just a few highlights; I’ll post more extensive tasting notes and impressions here once I return.)

The moral is that Patagonian winemakers can essentially choose their destiny. It’s an exceptionally exciting place to be, both literally and figuratively.

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Buenos Aires

After flying through the remnants of a Nor’Easter from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., and the on to an additional 10-plus hours to Buenos Aires, I was welcomed to Argentina with two of the best meals of the year, one at the thoroughly creative Chila restaurant with Alberto Arizu, president of Wines of Argentina and Export Director for the excellent Luigi Bosca wines, and another solely with my traveling companions, Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing Mulligan, at Tomo1, the avant-garde powerhouse that seems to be generating the most buzz in BA.

Indeed, for all the respect for tradition and history that this city possesses in such abundance, these meals demonstrated that something exciting and new is going on here, a forward-thinking, ground-up re-imagining of the food that combines everything from local favorites to Asian spicing and French cooking techniques to the kind of chef-driven excitement and innovation that marks a truly important global dining scene.

It’s impossible to discuss everything that I did in Buenos Aires right now, from wandering into a parade of Andean tribes marching through the city, to visiting Eva Peron’s tomb, to enjoying a Broadway-style tango show in the hotel we stayed in, to a 17-bottle tasting of the bright, structured wines from the north of the country that are custom-made for pairing with food.

Next week, I’ll post video to provide an idea of what Buenos Aires feels like these days. In the meantime, I’ll continue to compile tasting notes, photos, video, and more to share right here in the days and weeks ahead. As for right now, I’m in Patagonia, and off to a day of tasting the wines of this far-removed part of the country. Look for details right here tomorrow.

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Off to Argentina

I'm leaving this evening for a tasting trip to Argentina, and will be visiting Buenos Aires, Mendoza, and Patagonia. From Malbec to Torrontes to a number of surprises in between, make sure to check back here regularly for tasting notes, photos, and videos.

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Argentina in the News

Things just keep on getting better for Argentina. Consumers have fallen head-over-heals for the country’s great Malbecs, top winemakers and consultants are flocking there to leave their mark on one of the most exciting countries in the New World, and the prices for truly remarkable wines are staying amazingly reasonable.

This past week, more love was directed toward the wines of Argentina as the Quarterly Review of Wine named the Don Miguel Gascon Malbec 2009 the wine of the quarter, an honor that, according to the magazine, “appears irregularly in QRW because it's difficult to find a Best Buy.”

But this one earned it as a result of its “hint of violet... [and] engaging fruit that embellishes the wine with rich blackberry and plum. There's easy spice and oak, along with chocolate and mocha tones.”

“In short,” QRW concludes, “the wine has a lot to offer...”

Also this weekend, in the Virtual Gourmet John Mariani covers the 2008 Clos de los Siete, famed consultant Michel Rolland’s blend of Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot from high in the Mendoza region. Mariani praises its “soft and velvety texture (typical of merlot) together with the fruit intensity of the syrah, the mild tannins of the cabernet, and ballast and spice of the late-ripening petit verdot.”

You can drink and enjoy these wines anytime, but now that Labor Day has passed and autumn is just around the corner, rich, delicious reds like these are perfect.

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More Praise for Bodega Catena Zapata

Earlier this week, Wine Spectator released reviews of its top-scoring Argentinean Malbecs. These are wines that have garnered consistent praise for both their easy drinkability and—more common now than ever before—their clear, dramatic expression of the best vineyard sites and top-quality fruit.

Leading the pack is perennial favorite Bodega Catena Zapata, this time with its 95-point Nicasia Vineyard 2006 bottling. And while this particular wine doesn’t come cheap, Bodega Catena Zapata does produce a whole line-up of wines that are both affordable and downright delicious. From the Chardonnay 2006 Catena Alta bottling (90 points from Wine Spectator) to the Malbec 2005 Catena Alta bottling (same score), this is a producer whose wines are consistently well-made and priced quite low for the high quality they deliver.

There’s a lot happening in the world of Argentinean wine right now, and Bodega Catena Zapata is a great place to start exploring.

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Holiday Weekend Wine

As we head into the holiday weekend, this is the perfect time to talk about the versatility of wine. Because despite the fact that the 4th of July is typically considered a beer-ier occasion—hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, and the rest—I’ve always had better luck pairing my lazy summer days with grapes than grains.

Now don’t get me wrong: I love a cold, crisp beer in the summer’s heat. But given my druthers, I’d take a cool rosé or a bottle of cold, sweaty-glass Vinho Verde every time. Because the truth is that fun, interesting white wines—from Godello to Verdejo to Albariño to all kinds of other things that might not be terribly familiar—offer all the pleasure of cold beer and bring to the table (so to speak) a whole range of pairing options (not to mention unexpected flavors and aromas, too) that you otherwise wouldn’t have.

And those wines are just for lighter dishes and drinking on their own. Just because it’s 4th of July weekend, after all, doesn’t mean that you can’t indulge in something a bit more hearty. Ever tried spare ribs and Zinfandel? Or slow-cooked pork and a Tempranillo-based blend? Or Malbec and a burger? (And if you’re lucky enough to find really fatty ground meat, spring for a Cahors—it’s based on the Malbec grape, but its relationship to its Argentinean sibling is analogous to the one between, say, a gently prepared slice of veal and a grilled rib-eye. Think of Cahors as Argentinean Malbec’s older, brawnier brother.)

Even traditionally wintertime wines have a place this weekend. My favorite trick is to throw a bit of a chill on a bottle of ruby or tawny port—just a couple of degrees; too much and it’ll taste terrible—and pair it either with whatever chocolate- or nut-based dessert you’re enjoying (chocolate pecan pie and dried fruit would be great alongside a tawny), or even (it’s a holiday weekend, after all) a good, spicy cigar.

It’s Independence Day: Celebrate your right to drink what you want this holiday weekend, regardless of beer’s traditional role. And there’s no better way to do that than with a great selection of wine, friends and family, and, hopefully, clear skies and warm temperatures.

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