Southern Hemisphere Harvest

While the US is still entrenched in our last days of winter with dormant vineyards, south of the equator countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Chile have already picked their white varietals and are waiting for the late ripening reds, such as Cabernet, to finish the final step of their evolution.  

So why should wine aficionados be interested in countries on the opposite side of the globe?  The southern hemisphere offers some stunning varieties that we don’t grow in the US.  For example, Argentina's luscious Torrontes is a charming white that would bode well for drinking this summer. Chile's red Carmenere grape makes an interesting addition to a winter's table and comes with a fascinating historical story as the "lost grape of Bordeaux" as an added bonus.  Once thought to be extinct, the Carmenere grape was rediscovered not long ago in Chile where it had been mistakenly masquerading as Merlot for a couple of centuries.

Another reason to look to our southern neighbors is that even familiar grape varieties can make dramatically different wines due to differences in terroirs of the hemispheres.   For instance, Sauv Blancs from New Zealand serve up a completely different flavor profile that ones from California.  The Kiwi’s version is grassy and herbaceous, in contrast to Cali's version which often is citrus (think grapefruit), or tropical fruits from those grown in warmer climates.

Below are my DO NOT MISS wineries of the Southern Hemisphere.  

Argentina

• Catena Zapata
• Zuccardi Family

Australia

• Debortoli
• Tornbreck

Chile

• Los Maquis
•  Montes

New Zealand

• Dogpoint
• Greywacke

Tantalizing Torrontes

                            

                                  Torrontes and the sea are a marriage made in heaven

I have had a big love affair with Torrontes for at least 15 years. Argentina’s signature white varietal, Torrontes is pure seduction.   I love it on so many levels.  First, because it’s a food friendly wine (good acid levels make it perfect for pairing).   Second of all, this sexy little fruit-bomb offers both an enticing nose as well as taste of some of my favorite summer fruits:  apricots and peaches.  Last, the wine has a sensual velvety texture.   I have written about Torrontes probably in 10 articles, however, on my recent trip to South America I learned something new I want to share with you.

Torrontes is a cross between the Muscat & Mission grape.  I’ve long been a huge fan of dry Muscat wines (especially those from Alsace).   The Mission grape was brought to South America by Spanish conquistadores who wanted to make wine.  Interestingly, the Mission grape was among the first also cultivated in the USA.

Torrontes, rarely seen outside of Argentina, is the perfect warm weather wine.  As we live in a near-perfect climate of year around 70 degrees in San Diego, we always have plenty of it on hand.  As we have just purchased a small hideaway for weekends on the nearby beach, we’re ramping up our stock.  With summer approaching quickly, you may want to consider doing the same. 

My favorite producer?  This year it was the 2015 Series A by Zuccardi.  Grown in the Salta region of the Argentine Andes in one of the world’s highest vineyards, this Torrontes is a steal at $15-20 a bottle.  In case you can’t find it at your local retailer, it can easily be obtained on the Internet.  For example, Wine.com currently has this vintage for $15...while there's a shipping fee, there's no tax.   (Be sure to order bottles shipped soon and always insist that the order be shipped on a Monday so that it's not sitting in some hot warehouse over a weekend).

Viva Torrontes!