Sharing South American food and wine long distance (#WorldWineTravel)

Now that I’ve been living in Washington state for three years, I rarely get to see friends back “home” in Pennsylvania. That’s why it was a special treat to visit via FaceTime this past week with Christina. She and I have so many things in common, including a mutual interest in food and wine. I texted to ask if we would be tasting anything during this virtual time together.

“That’s the best question I’ve heard in a long time!” she replied.

Christina was kind enough to agree on appetizers for our “meet and munch” at 5 pm Pacific time. Perfect. I had just received two bottles of wine from Mendoza for our #WorldWineTravel October theme. Our group of bloggers will be chatting about “Wines of Argentina,” on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, 10/28, starting at 8 am PT/11 am ET. Jeff at foodwineclick! is hosting. I encourage you to check out his preview post, Why is Argentine Wine Unique?, and the other blog posts listed below.

Please note that while the wines for this post were provided, opinions are my own.

Where are we?

Washington. Wait, I mean Argentina. But it sounds like Washington!

Located at the foot of the Andes Mountains, the Mendoza region boasts 76% of the total vineyards in Argentina and the largest number of wineries in the country.

The Andes have some of the highest peaks found in the Americas. These towering mountains act as a natural barrier to humid winds wafting off the Pacific Ocean to the west. Dry conditions are perfect for preventing pests and fungi that can damage grapes. Mountain snow melt provides water for irrigation. All of this is quite similar to the Washington grape-growing regions I’ve gotten to know.

If you’ve heard of any Argentinian wine region, it’s probably Mendoza, a name now synonymous with Malbec. Funny, because Malbec actually hails from France, where it was a key part of Bordeaux blends for centuries. When the Great Frost of 1956 wiped out most of the original Malbec vines in France, estate owners tended to choose the more reliable Merlot over Malbec.

Malbec was brought to Argentina by a Frenchman, reportedly on April 17, 1853. Argentinians and others around the globe now celebrate World Malbec Day every year on the 17th of April. Though Malbec thrived, the Argentinian government encouraged the pulling up of older Malbec vines when the economy collapsed in the 1980s. Since then, Malbec has been replanted and now is considered the country’s signature grape.

Trapiche: One of Argentina’s oldest brands

Founded in 1883, Trapiche is one of the oldest and largest brands of wines produced in Argentina. Trapiche produces more than 3.5 million cases of wine per year and is available in over 80 countries. Their vineyards encompass more than 2,470 acres of land. Grapes are sourced from more than 200 independent growers.

The winery itself is located in Maipú, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves and with a Renaissance-style building which dates back to 1912. Owners of the winery are planning to open a wine bar in a refurbished freight railway car originally used to transport grapes from the vineyards to the winery.

Trapiche manages its vineyards closest to the winery through biodynamic agriculture, an approach that prohibits the use of chemicals, herbicides and fungicides. The aim is a balanced ecosystem, biodiversity and the recovery of bacterial activity in soil. The only fertilizers allowed are vegetable and animal wastes from biodynamic farms. This approach to working the land takes into account different moon phases and planetary positions as influencing vine growth, much as they do the tides.

2019 Trapiche Terroir Series Finca Ambrosia Malbec
From a single vineyard located at 4,260 feet in the Gualtallary area of Mendoza’s Uco Valley. Planted on sand over a subsoil of gravel covered by calcium carbonate. Spends a year in barrels and another six years in 6,000-liter vats.

• My tasting notes: Pours a deep, inky purple. Dark fruity aromas of blackberry and black currant, smoke, black licorice and spice. High acidity on the palate, balanced by black licorice, spice and pepper. Longish finish. Alcohol: 15%. Average price: $40.

Mascota Vineyards: A new venture

While Malbec dominates Mendoza (and Argentinian wine, in general), this popular red variety isn’t the only grape in the ground. Chardonnay also enjoys the high altitude, dry weather, well-draining soil and warmth in the rain shadow of the Andes Mountains.

Mascota Vineyards winery is relatively new. The winery was started by the Peñaflor Group in 2010 with their longtime winemaker, Rodolfo Sadler. It has grown quickly into being a wine producer of 2.5 million bottles a year. Although the winery and their entry-level lines are based in Maipú, the top lines of the winery come from their high-altitude vineyards in the Uco Valley.

2020 Mascota Vineyards Unánime Chardonnay
A selection of grapes from different parcels of the producer’s vineyards, located at 4,200 feet above sea level. Some of the Unánime (30%) goes through malolactic fermentation (conversion of harsh malic acid into soft lactic acid) in French oak barrels and six months of aging sur lie (on the spent yeast cells) to add a soft texture to the wine.  

• My tasting notes: Gold in color. Pineapple, grapefruit and a touch of lemon on the nose and palate. Buttery and savory mouthfeel, yet medium+ acidity and minerality punch out for a balanced sensation. Alcohol: 13.5%. Average price: $21.

Argentinian yummy fun

Still without a kitchen last week, I did my best to prepare tasty, culturally paired food for these two energetic wines. Many thanks to Christina for the fun long-distance. For our virtual visit, I opened the Chardonnay to taste with these Argentinian appetizers:

• Provoleta – Just like it sounds, this is provolone cheese. Grilled with olive oil, oregano and a slice of tomato and served on toast with chimichurri, it’s something glorious, as was the pairing with this savory, buttery Chardonnay.
• Chorizo – What else, right? This one was smoked and dried. No cooking required! Delicious, even if it was more Spanish than Argentinian style. Argentinian chorizo is less spicy and made with a blend of pork and beef, rather than pork alone. Tasty with the Chardonnay, too.

Oh, I also sliced a chunk of Comté cheese and opened a jar of Spanish orange marmalade. Both have nothing to do with Argentina, but they paired amazingly well with the wine.

I opened the Malbec the next night and once again relied on the outdoor grill to do the cooking. Chorizo chicken sausages smothered in sauerkraut and Dijon mustard stood up to the powerful Malbec, perhaps because of the peppery, spicy notes in the wine. Not sure a Cabernet Sauvignon or even Merlot would play along as nicely. This easy spinach dip on the grilled sweet potatoes gave them a zing that also worked well with the wine.

Ready to check out the posts? Here they are:

• Camilla at Culinary Cam shares “From Soil and Sea to Sky: Miso-Glazed Squash and Salmon with Trapiche Medalla Chardonnay“
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “Celebrating Day of the Souls with Carbonada en Zapallo and Trapiche Cabernet Sauvignon“
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “Off The Beaten Wine Path in Argentina“
• Steve at Children of the Grape shares “The Dance of the Vine“
• Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog shares “Savoring Argentine Red Wines From Trapiche and Unànime with Roasted Mushroom Risotto“
• Deanna at Wineivore shares “Unanime and Trapiche Wines with Argentinian Inspired Tapas“
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares “Not Just Malbec: Argentina’s Trapiche Cab Blend and Syrah Paired with Burgers 2 Ways“
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass has “Sharing South American food and wine long distance“
• Susannah at Avvinare shares “Trapiche Fall Flavors For Halloween Celebrations“