"argentina" news and stories

Torrontés is a white-wine grape with a very aromatic nose (think floral and tropical-fruit notes, not too far off from a Gewurtztraminer or Viognier). The grape is grown throughout several provinces in Argentina and is the country's only indigenous white-grape variety. While this wine is more commonly sipped during summer, a glass or two when it's cold out can whisk you away on a mental tropical vacation.

Although each producer's Torrontés will vary, common characteristics are tropical-fruit notes, high acidity and -- as mentioned above -- a lovely nose. If you like Sauvignon Blanc but are in search of something different, this is your wine.

Drink these whites while they're young -- you'll notice the majority of those I've tasted below are from 2009 -- and don't be tempted to age them in your cellar. Because of their high acidity, consider pairing with goat cheese, whether spread on a crusty baguette, subbed in for mozzarella on a homemade pizza or crumbled on a salad. If goat cheese doesn't thrill you, a spicy Thai or Indian dish would hold up to the wine.

So in case you haven't heard, Malbec is the hottest wine around right now. While wine imports from other countries are declining as we weather the recession, Malbec imports from Argentina are on the rise. Why? Well, for one thing, it's new, and even wine lovers get tired of the same old, same old. For another, Malbec is an incredible value. You can spend $10-15 on a bottle that tastes like it cost two or three times that.

Malbec is actually not a new grape; it's just newish to the American palate. Originally a French grape grown in Bordeaux, the Loire, and Cahors, Malbec found its spiritual home in Argentina, where it makes dark, rich, fruity red wines with a hint of spice and chocolate. It's got all the best features of Cabernet Sauvignon--heft, balance, and longevity--and of Zinfandel--sweet spice and soft fruit--all rolled into one.

Oh, and did I mention that Malbecs are incredibly food-friendly? Argentines are famous for their barbeques, so you can't go wrong serving Malbec with a big chunk o' meat. It's also great with pizza, grilled steak salad, beef empanadas, or a hearty vegetarian dish like mushroom risotto.

More Malbec - Wine of the Week after the jump.

One of my favorite stores to wander into when I'm downtown is the Ten Thousand Villages Fair Trade Store. The merchandise is always high quality and a remarkably good value despite the fact that the people who craft the items are assured timely and fair payment for their work, plus ongoing contracts to guarantee future income.

Now Fair Trade has come to the wine world with the first nationwide introduction of Fair Trade Certified wine. So what does "Fair Trade" really mean? In the wine world, many family vineyards in developing countries have a tough time meeting market demand for quality grapes AND paying their workers enough, ensuring safe working conditions, and getting a good enough price for the crop to eke out their own living.

Fair Trade Certified means a producer is guaranteed a minimum price for the grapes, their workers earn a living wage, and wine-producing communities receive community development funding. At Stellar Organics Fair Trade Certified vineyard in South Africa, for example, workers have established a commercial community organic vegetable garden with its own educational garden used to train children in organic farming. Income from the garden and vineyard go into a university education fund for children of the workers.

Continue reading "Wine of the Week: Fair Trade wine" after the jump.