I had a wonderful time at a private wine tasting last night that focused on Argentinean wines. The wine tasting was organized by my husband’s colleague who won this event through his rowing teams’ fundraiser. The group of 20 tasters were from different cultures – Chinese, British, Indian, African American, Mexican, French and a few others – which demonstrates that wine enthusiasts come from all types of backgrounds.
The sommelier taught us about the history of Argentinean wines, the various terrain that produced certain grapes and the most popular wines for export and consumption. In particular, I learned that Argentina is the fifth largest exporter of wine in the world and its people drink approximately 28 liters of wine a year. Americans drink less than 10. Furthermore, Argentinean wine is mainly influenced by immigrants from Spain and Italy so their techniques in growing grapes and wine production are not strictly native.
We sampled five different types of wine:
- Bodega Dante Robino Novevento Demi-Sec
- Crisol Torrontes (my favorite!)
- Santa Julia Viognier
- Santa Cecilia Malbec
- Nieto Senetiener Cabernet Sauvignon (my second favorite)
All of these wines cost less than $20! Yes, that’s the best part. This wine store, Best Cellars, focuses on wines that will not break your budget.
Overall, the evening was a lot of fun, and of course we left with a few good bottles of Argentinean wine.
