Fall foliage, fashion shows and art fairs get a lot of attention when autumn starts, but the wine world wants you to pay attention too. Tis’ the season when wine makers from all over the world divide their time between harvesting and market appointments (depending on the hemisphere) to maintain and expand their sales efforts.
One-on-one tastings, lunches and trade seminars reveal the latest wine releases and harvest updates. We are, however, in the midst of a conundrum for the future of wine and spirits as consumers are embracing non-alcoholic versions of them. We’ve tried many, and are quite underwhelmed, preferring to keep our attention on how wine supports convivial moments and celebrations (good times!) while delving into its history. These conversations with wine makers and producers about their future plans and concerns is one of the reasons I love this industry and report on it for you.
Did you know that Patricia Freuler Ortiz, who owns Zolo and Tapiz wineries in Argentina, is an art collector, former nephrologist and the first female president of the trade group Bodegas de Argentina? Her sustainable winemaking empire got a head start when she hired Jean Claude Berrouet (former winemaker at Petrus) as a consulting winemaker. The red wines are first rate, with elegant long finishes (think liquid velvet), no acidity, notes of cassis, vanilla and dark chocolate. Patricia also owns Mendoza’s top lodging and spa destination Club Tapiz, an estate built in 1890, and surrounded by 22 acres of vineyards that welcomes guests year-round.
A smaller scale winery producing wines that carry the Bodegas de Argentina label for sustainability is Tilia wines – also in Mendoza. Their 2023 Chardonnay has that golden yellow color with greenish hues, a delicious nose, a mouthfeel of white flowers and tropical fruit, with toasted bread for its enjoyable lingering finish. A great alternative to red wine even in chillier weather.
Coppo winery is a UNESCO World Heritage designation in Canelli, Piedmont, where Italy’s Moscato sparkling wine has been made since the 13th century. Its wine cellars are part of the network of 18th century underground cellars under the hill of Canelli, formerly used by the locals to conserve wine. The outstanding Moscato d’Asti wine has a modest 5% alcohol content and a light fizz. During the tasting with Stephano Puppini, who is responsible for leading the winery forward, we also sampled a light bodied Chardonnay, a wine more closely associated with California than Italy.
Argentina’s Uco Valley is the Mendoza region’s most important wine growing area and referred to as the Wine Road. Lying between the Andes Mountains and the Tupungato River, the landscape is barren, rocky, windy, arid, but for a grape vine, it’s ideal! Grape vines love hostile growing conditions where their roots can dig deep down to suck up any moisture and minerals. Besides the famous earthy and intense red wine made from Malbec grapes, the region is also growing Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and other grape varieties which produce a lighter but age-able red wines.
Salentein winery is a leader in high elevation wine growing and was founded in the 1990s on the notion of single vineyard plots. These same plots are now classified like the French Grand Crus. These areas include San Pablo with its mountainous, ancient volcanic soil. La Pampa and Los Jabalies are two of the wines produced there. Aromas of cranberry, blueberry, blackberry, violets, along with aromatic herbs (rosemary and thyme), blend together in vibrant red wines with a good finish on the palate that mirror French Burgundy wines.
Chile and Argentina are friendly neighbors in the wine business. Kaiken, named after the goose which flies over the Andes mountains bordering the two countries, is pioneering vineyard growth in extremely rocky (yikes, boulders!) terrain in Argentina. Aurelio Montes Baseden, a Chilean wine celebrity, founded Kaiken to prove that hail storms, late frost, and an almost impenetrable soil can make great wine. Twenty years of hard work in this hostile growing situation have created ingle estate plots planted with Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. These highly sought after wines are mellow, spicy with notes of mocha, roasted peppers and aromatic herbs.
Fortunately, there are plenty of wine growing regions, established and newcomers, to satisfy a myriad of customer profiles. Be a little daring once in a while and try something different. If it’s not your style of wine, you can always use it for cooking!
