It’s the end of day 4 in Mendoza, and there’s so much new information coming at me that I’m feeling rather overwhelmed by it all and am having trouble writing about any of it. All in all it’s not a bad thing, though – overwhelmed at the beginning means that I’ll never be bored here!

Today I got out of the office and spent most of the day in the Uco Valley, at what is affectionately referred to around The Vines of Mendoza as ‘the Property:’ a large plot of land that was purchased a year or so ago by The Vines and is being sold in lots of 3-10 acres as part of the Private Vineyard Estates program (PVE). The Uco Valley contains some of the best and last virgin wine-growing land in the world, as well as the most majestic views in Mendoza…(see above) The Property contains 100 hectares - 250 acres - with an option on the adjoining 100 hectares; so far 77 of them have been sold and planted.  

As for PVE, each parcel is planted with varietals chosen by the owner and tended by our local vineyard managers. Once the vines have been in the ground for 3 years the winemaking process will begin, carried out by a partnership between the owner of the lot and our enological team, led by Santiago Achaval, one of Argentina’s leading winemakers. One of my companions today was an owner of one of the Private Vineyard Estates – a wonderful man who was absolutely thrilled to see his land with vines in the ground for the first time. It was pretty exciting for me as well. 

First we toured some of the planted land in the company pickups; we stopped at the irrigation reservoir, which comes from the same underground aquifer as Eco de los Andes - the best known Argentine brand of mineral water, bottled in nearby Tunuyan – and went to take a look at some of the baby vines. Here’s one for your viewing pleasure: 

 Then the real fun began, as we left the trucks and got on horseback to check out the land that is still in its natural state. I don’t know when the last time I got on a horse was – I can’t have been any older than 13. Let’s just say that my cowboy boots are truly broken in now, as am I… they ain’t just city slickers anymore! While we were riding, the ubiquitous Argentine asado was being prepared, and this was definitely one of the best I’ve had yet. 

As diverting as this all was, however, the most fascinating part for me, and that which most belongs on here (as it is, after all, a ‘wineblog’) was the experience of watching new vines being planted. I’ve come full circle - it was only 2 months ago that I was in France picking grape clusters off 30 year old vines, and here I am now in a different hemisphere where the growing season has only recently begun, and we’re putting infant vines in the ground! After a month in Buenos Aires as nothing more than a vino-consumer, I am once again in my element, surrounded by constant reminders of the complexity of the world of wine, and the many steps involved in each process. Rootstock to fruit, grape to bottle… I’m not even going to get into what I’m learning about getting that bottle from one country to another, and then to your table. It is, after all, that which is now consuming most of my waking hours, and it’s far more complicated than even I knew… but that’s not what this blog is about. 

As I get busier with work and my posts become less regular, I am more committed than ever to keeping my blog alive (even if slightly less consistent), if for no other reason than my own mental balance. I’ve come to depend on this outlet, and the more I work the more I think I’ll have a need to take some time every now and then to go off on these tangents. I do hope you’ll bear with me. If you ever lose patience between posts, I hope you’ll take advantage of some of the links down below; I’ve recently changed the format of my blogroll and I plan to keep updating it at least semi-regularly, so that you’ll never be at a loss for something to read on here. And if you liked the photos, I’ll be adding more to my Picasa page whenever possible.

Having said that, I’m going to hit the sack so that I can get up early tomorrow and spend some more quality time with my new frienemy, Microsoft Excel. I never really thought that learning the ropes would be easy…

November 30th, 2007 | vita, vino | No comments

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the announcement you’ve all been waiting for (or at least the announcement I’ve been dying to give):

I got a job!

And I am so very excited to become a productive member of society again.

I’m pretty thrilled - it’s a great job, the one that I’ve been hoping for since my first week down here, although it’s vastly different from what I was expecting to find when I arrived in Argentina. I came down here with a certain vision in mind, one that had been stewing in my head for a while: I was going to live in Buenos Aires and work as a sommelier someplace hip, like the Hotel Faena, where I did in fact have a successful interview. The idea was to have fun, get some more service experience, meet people interested in wine, and then take it from there and see what I could come up with. Never did I think I’d find a ‘real’ job, a truly stimulating, career building opportunity with an innovative company, especially not in my first month here. That wasn’t really part of the plan.

However, when I was in Mendoza shortly after my arrival in Argentina, I came across a potential opportunity so appealing and so appropriate for me that it changed everything. Believe it or not I’m even excited to leave Buenos Aires and create a life for myself in Mendoza. Who would’a thunk it? I’m looking forward to living in a small city, so close to the mountains, with so much vibrant wine-related activity. (For some background on Mendoza, check out the post I wrote before my last trip there.)

Those of you who have been paying close attention to my blog may have noticed several links in the past few weeks (hints, if you will) to The Vines of Mendoza. Here is another one - take a look around if you’re curious, ’cause that’s where I’ll be working as of next week, and there is a lot going on there! Of course as usual I’m here to tell you all about it in my own words, with the help of some links to specific parts of their site.

To tell the truth this wasn’t all entirely out of the blue; I had been forwarded the posting for this job when I was still in the United States. At the time I didn’t do much more than skim it and take a peak at the website - it was in Mendoza, after all, and I’ve taken so much pride the past few years from being a “Big City Boy.” I wanted to live in BA, to be part of the new wave of restaurants and wine culture here… but the company looked interesting enough that I sent an introductory email to try to set up a meeting when I was in town and satisfy my curiousity. That was about all it took for my plans to begin to change.

For the purposes of my explanation here, there are three parts to The Vines of Mendoza. Let’s start with the tasting room, for it is THE tasting room - in Mendoza if not all of Argentina. Besides being sexy as hell, it is expertly run; they offer various wine flights, and the staff can tell you just about anything you’d want to know about the wines. And we’re talking about the best wines around, some of which you can’t find many other places besides the winery. I’m looking forward to spending time there next week and filling out my knowledge of the wine list! There are events every Wednesday and Friday; the week I was there I attended a Winemaker night on Wednesday and an exploration of Argentina’s sparkling wines on Friday evening. Both were very cool, and informative, even for me - they know how to hit all the bases.

The tasting room is also an ‘information center’ - they’ll tell you where to taste, depending on what you’re looking for, and help you find your way around Mendoza. If you’re nice, they’ll even lend you a hand planning it all out, and help with reservations. And believe me, every wine tourist in Mendoza passes through there at least once… with luck I shouldn’t have any trouble making new friends.

Next, of course, is the website, which is going to be my virtual home for the foreseeable future, although I promise I’ll do my best to stay consistent on here, too. It is a font of information about Mendoza and the local wine; more importantly, it also contains the The Vines Wine Shop and the Acequia Wine Club. As of next Monday, I am the Product Manager for these lofty online digs. In a nutshell, I’ll be in charge of both sourcing the wines and selling them directly to customers online; luckily my lovely predecessor, Sarah, is sticking around for a couple of weeks to show me the ropes.

The store is one of the best laid-out I’ve seen online - the selection is both extensive and highly focused. You can shop by varietal, price, region, brand, and even style; you can purchase by the bottle, case, or flight. The wine club is also very exciting, and I can’t wait to leave my mark on it. There are 2 tiers to choose from - the Acequia Wine Club and Acequia Reserva, and the wine is shipped 4 times a year. Acequia ships 6 bottles at a time for US$145, the Reserva 4-6 bottles (depending on the wines chosen) for US$245; they both arrive with a newsletter, Mendoza travel tips, and local recipes - and you get comped the top flight of wine if/when you make it to the tasting room. My primary job will be to grow the club, so hey, guys - let me know if you’re interested!

The third part of The Vines of Mendoza is the newest, and certainly the most innovative - Private Vineyard Estates. They are offering for sale parcels (4 - 12 acres) of their new vineyard in the Valle de Uco, which contains some of the last virgin wine-growing land in Mendoza (or anywhere else for that matter) and also some of the most picturesque. The wine is created by a partnership of the owner of the plot and The Vines’ team of enologists and consultants; the owner chooses the grapes, and the enologists help to cultivate them. Every step of the process is a collaboration, and at the end up to 10,000 bottles a year are entirely the owner’s, or some of the grapes can be sold to offset the upkeep of the vineyard. There is also a 5-star resort in the works, to be build on the vineyard, which is set to open by 2010.

All in all - pretty cool, huh?

So it’s done, my ticket to Mendoza purchased - I leave on Sunday. Time to have a life again! (And heads-up - I’ll have a new phone, too.) As exciting as that is, it’s also frightening; I’ve been on my own moving around the world for almost 5 full months now, with very little responsibility; across the United States, through South-Western Europe, and in Argentina. It will be a challenge to ’settle down,’ even somewhere as exotic as Mendoza, but I’m sure it will also be amazing.

Now that we know where I’ll be, you can all start making plans to come visit.

November 20th, 2007 | vita, vino | 8 comments

Kind of a gloomy day in Buenos Aires today. After realizing this morning that I lost my debit card by brilliantly leaving it in an ATM machine this weekend, I walked in the rain all the way to MALBA (the Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires), only to find that it’s closed on Tuesdays. Way to check ahead, Aar. Then I watched the gate close in front of my face at my Plan B, the Japanese Gardens. C’est la vie… see what happens when you actually try to get out of the house and away from the computer? Well, I sure learned my lesson!

Before any of this happened, however, I read an article in the New York Times online that got me thinking enough to even inspire a second post for the week - before we’ve even hit Wednesday. I guess there’s something to be said for having so much time on my hands.

It seems that going forward there will be yet another reason to visit Staten Island, besides the views from the ferry - to check out the new vineyard at the Staten Island Botanic Garden. Before I tell you about it myself, here’s a link to the article: “A Toast to Tuscany, With a Staten Island Red.”

Now, kids, don’t get too excited. First they have to choose the varietals, plant the vines (they’re thinking 2000 of them), and get them producing fruit. Once the vines are in the ground you’re looking at an absolute minimum of 3 years before there are grapes that can be pressed into any kind of wine at all, let alone good wine. (More like 5, at least.) They have to build the winery and tasting room before you can visit it… and even then, who knows? But the point here is that this can only be a good sign for the world of wine. If New Yorkers are able to visit a winery, without even taking a train? I can only imagine how much of a boost this will give to wine-interest in and around the city, especially among people who can’t or don’t eat out in the fancy restaurants.

Of course my first thought reading this article was “Seriously?? on STATEN ISLAND?? Are you kidding me?” and then another part of me spoke up, saying “Well, it’s about time!”

(If things in my head were simple, well, you probably wouldn’t be reading this.)

In any case, before the industry fed the geek in me and turned it into a monster, I was attracted to vino for some pretty simple reasons. It tastes good, especially with a meal; it is a truly international product, with a long history in some of my favorite countries; there’s always more to learn about it. Most importantly, perhaps, it’s only beginning to appeal to the masses in the United States.

The example I’ve always used for this is Yellow Tail, from Australia - despite my personal tastes, Yellow Tail has only been a good thing for the wine industry, and for the American palate. It’s not stealing consumers away from Trévallon and Viña el Cerno… if anything, it’s taking them from Bud Light. Anyway you look at it, more people are drinking wine in the US now than ever, and the number only continues to grow; in fairness I have to credit much of this to Yellow Tail’s marketing and pricing. Some of these consumers will eventually move on to what my colleagues and I can’t help but see as ‘better’ wine, and those who don’t, well - they’re still buying vino! God bless them. May you all enjoy a glass of wine with your dinner, whatever it is, and wherever it’s from.

So yes, I’m pretty excited that there will finally be wine made within the city limits of New York. Some wonderful things are starting to come out of Long Island, and the Finger Lakes (upstate), and I believe that people are even starting to drink them outside of New York State. But Staten Island? Who would’ve thunk it? And who cares if it’s maybe just a ploy to get more people visiting the borough? They’re doing it. That’s enough for me.

Apparently, some of “Staten Island’s leading businessmen” recently took a trip to Crespina, a city in Tuscany that is set to become the borough’s sister city. I believe they are there now, learning about viticulture, getting exposure to wine-making techniques, and looking for the right varietals to plant in their home turf. Of course, it is illegal in the US to import cuttings, so they will have to choose a grape and then seek for a place in the United States where it is already growing. Interesting. As is the fact that 38% of Staten Island’s residents are of Italian Heritage, making it the most Italiano county in the nation, and explaining the trip to Tuscany, rather than Bordeaux, for example.

Ah - home sweet home.

November 13th, 2007 | vino | No comments

I spent this Saturday afternoon in Uruguay, strolling around the (aptly named) colonial town of Colonia. (Really it’s Colonia del Sacramento, but I have yet to hear one person call it such.)

I suppose that when I learned international geography back in the 7th grade (I still remember some of the mnemonic devices we were taught), somewhere in the back of my mind I always knew there was a chance I would end up visiting Argentina. At least I had heard of it before - my best friend’s parents were from Buenos Aires. But I confess that there was no part of me that ever expected to be in Uruguay. Since then I’ve learned many things, however, one of which is that Uruguay seems to be to Argentina what Canada is to the United States; it shares a border and a language but is a separate nation - in government, history, currency, and (presumably) culture. Although I’m not entirely sure how, or why.

(I apologize to any Uruguayans reading this, and Canadians. I’m not above the occasional cultural generalization - but please do feel free to chime in and correct me. Or to tell me to screw off.)

As I usually do when I’m in a new place, I decided to sample the local fare for lunch; in this case it was a ‘chivito’ - one of the few things on the menu that I haven’t seen around Buenos Aires. And in a rare linguistic difference between Argentina and Uruguay, if you do order chivito in a restaurant on this side of the River Plate you are ordering baby goat - NOT this sandwich. When it arrived at the table and got my mouth watering, I decided it was time to write a little bit about what I’ve been eating down here. This is what my chivito looked like:

I’m sure that some of you will find this image and the idea of eating what it depicts to be a turnoff. I tell you, however, that if there is one thing I learned from this chivito it is that sometimes, contrary to my instinct, you CAN just pile everything you want to eat on one plate; or, in this case - one sandwich. If you can’t make out the details here, this work of Uruguayan culinary art contains lomo, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and a fried egg. I made a complete mess of everything, but it was TASTY. The lomo is the South American kind, rather than Spanish - beef tenderloin instead of pork. And yes, I did accompany it with a salad. I’m not a total masochist - I can only justify eating as I do down here by having some greens everyday.

Normally, at lunch here in BA, the salad is my excuse for a plate of empanadas, part of my ongoing quest to find the best ones in town. Every culture I can think of has its version of dough-filled goodness, from samosas to calzones, pierogies to spring rolls. (Or wontons - I’m not sure which is a more appropriate example from China). To complicate matters further, every country within the Spanish speaking world has its own take on the empanada. (For a more in-depth comparison, the link will take you to Wikipedia.) For several years now, my favorite of all of the above has been the classic Argentine kind, thanks in part to Cafe Novecento, one of the best Argentine restaurants in New York, and part of small chain that is also in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Punta del Este, and Miami.

What I’ve learned here, however, to both my dismay and my pleasure, is that there IS no ‘classic Argentine empanada.’ There are regional differences that I am still struggling to get to the bottom of; I have yet to eat two that have the same shell, or the same filling. The dough runs the gambit from pizza dough to puff-pastry; the inside can be meat, chicken, ham and cheese, ‘humita-’ which is corn with a mysterious white sauce, vegetables, or any number of other ingredients. The meat can be ground or cubed, spicy or ’suave;’ a driving part of my ‘research’ here is to find some that is actually spicy. This is not Mexico… while I love both the people and the food here, they tend to be wussy about the heat.

As far as I’ve noticed, the only real common denominator between Argentine empanadas is the use of an oven in their preparation, rather than a fryer. This is what I love most about them - in the best of cases, they are even baked in the ‘horno de barro,’ the wood-burning oven, which gives the shell a great smoky crispiness and is a large factor in my addiction. The size also tends to stay pretty consistent - they are relatively large.

Here’s another photo, the Argentine counterpart of the above chivito lunch shot. Yes, I’m aware that it’s almost identical… what can I say, I like to sample the local brew as well. I usually save the vino for dinner.

My evening meal, on the other hand, normally looks nothing like this. Most common in my dinner diet, and apparently that of the rest of the country, are grilled meat and pizza. Pizza and pasta are ubiquitous here - constant reminders of the Italian influence; the meat is without argument some of the best on the planet, and is also the keystone of Argentina’s culinary reputation. It has been fascinating to learn that meat is as common as it is here not because of the quality, but rather because of the price. It is simply the most accessible protein here, which has been hard to wrap my North-American head around, especially as familiar as I am with the New York steakhouse culture, where a quality steak can run anywhere from $20 to $60 (US) in a restaurant. In Buenos Aires, despite the booming restaurant scene and crazy inflation, it is still literally impossible to pay more than $20 for a steak, in the best restaurants in town. A decent salad can be almost as expensive as a prime piece of meat - and I’m not exaggerating here. Not to mention that the beef is all from free-range, grass-fed cows, the kind that is both hard to find and bank-breaking in the United States. Of course this also explains how good they are at preparing it.

For a more in-depth and better educated exploration of the food here, I highly recommend you take a look at SaltShaker, Dan Pearlman’s blog about food, drink, and life in Buenos Aires. He is a talented chef who has been at it for much longer than I have - both the writing and the living in BA. We had lunch together the other day, and we both ordered empanadas as soon as we sat down.

I hope I’ve made your mouth water, and made you want to come share a meal with me in Buenos Aires. I’m certainly starving now- it’s definitely time for lunch. You all know what I’m going to eat.

November 11th, 2007 | gastronomia | 4 comments

Finally I’m writing from my own apartment; I moved in on Friday and am here for at least the month of November. It’s in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires – pretty cool stuff. How novel to be unpacked.

Before I get going here, I want to say thanks for all of the great feedback I’ve gotten on the last couple of posts. It means a lot that there are people out there reading this and being stimulated enough to respond – it’s always a wonderful surprise to receive a note from a new reader, or somebody who, unbeknownst to me, has been following all along. You may have noticed the new layout here; I’m hoping that the more prominent display of the comment bar will encourage its usage. I love getting your emails, but please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts on here, too!

I’ll warn you that this post may be a step-down from my recent, more profound enological musings, but somehow I’ve let this blog go from being bi-weekly to merely weekly, and I won’t let it get any worse then that. I’ve spent the past week struggling to get settled here in Buenos Aires and manically looking for work - I feel more focused professionally than I ever have, but I also feel pretty boring, as I seem to have very little else to talk about. So I’m going to explore a topic that was suggested to me at a party the other night, and that I probably should have addressed a long time ago.

The most common question I get when I tell people I’m in the wine business is one that is sometimes harder to answer than it should be: “What wine should I buy??”

It’s always tough for me to find a quick response, and not just because I’m so long-winded. Especially if I’ve just met you, I’m unlikely to know what your tastes are, and I don’t necessarily know what’s available where you live. Ultimately this is the question that defines my work at every job I’ve had in the past 4 years; on one level or another, the primary task of everybody in the wine business is to get to know their clients and learn their palates, to start a dialogue so that we can keep recommending the right wine. For better or worse, I’m not very good with short responses on ANY subject… so what I am supposed to say to somebody at a party? “Why don’t we have dinner and do some tasting together so that I get to know you better before I tell you what to buy?” As tempting as that sometimes is, small talk doesn’t usually work that way, and unfortunately, neither does getting a date.

The first thing to note is that any answer I give may not be applicable if you’re in a different wine market. In New York, for example, which has one of the most international wine and spirits cultures in the world, the average wine store only has enough shelf space for a certain amount of wines from each region: Argentina, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, The United States, etc. They can only carry so many varietals. I’ve been able to get away with some general responses: ‘You want a decent $10 red, medium to full-bodied? Just grab an Argentine Malbec – it’s bound to be decent… A nice refreshing white for under $20? Try New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, or Albariño - from Galicia, in Spain.” Most stores only have 2 or 3 Malbecs at that price, and only so many whites that fit the description. While they may tend to be big brands, they’re almost always very drinkable. Despite the things I sometimes say, just because somebody makes a lot of wine doesn’t mean it can’t be good; especially at the lower price points, economies of scale are important.

In Buenos Aires, on the other hand, the international options are limited. The wine lists at the geekier restaurants in town will have a couple of Bordeaux and a maybe a Brunello or two, but on the whole the amount of imported vino is negligible. The vast majority of red wine on display is Malbec - it’s THE Argentine red grape, and every producer tends to have 2 or 3 different tiers that they make, all at different prices. The big guys do some seriously aggressive marketing (like giving away tons of free wine) that can tilt things as far as price goes, but there are more small wineries opening all the time, and they’re starting to create their own niche. So me telling you to buy Malbec here doesn’t really help. As for the white examples above, neither is readily available here. It’s more of a Chardonnay or Torrontes question, with some Sauvignon Blanc (which can be really tasty) thrown in for good measure. (Torrontes is the main Argentine white – the hot region for it is Salta, in the north.) As I’ve said before though, there is an extraordinary amount of wine to choose from anyway, so it’s really a matter of what you’re into, how much money you want to part with, and of course what tonight’s occasion is. There is a time and place for almost every wine; that has always been one of the things that fascinates me about my product of choice.

Are you having a dinner party, or just a dinner date? Do you want something light and juicy to throw back before your meal, or a big oaky red to accompany your steak? Do you like oak in your wines at all? Are you going to stick to Mendoza, or try something from Patagonia? Do you like heavier whites with some sweetness, or light-bodied ones with lots of grass and full of citrus? What was the last wine you had that you loved? (If you really like it, guys and gals, write it down.)

As a curious, educated consumer, these are some of the questions you should be familiar with. I certainly don’t mean to intimidate you with them - the opposite, in fact, I want you to get used to them, to not be afraid to answer them intuitively - or to speak up if you don’t understand, and to then be able start finding wines that stick out in your memory. Just because I’m a geek doesn’t mean you have to be one; you just have to pay attention to what you like and do your best to explain it. Then its our job (those of us selling it to you, that is) to help you find new things to enjoy. Ultimately, the best concrete advice I can give about wine buying is to pick a store and frequent it – build a relationship there. Find the place in your neighborhood or town with a large selection and an educated staff, and tell them what you like! Off the top of my head I could probably tell you a wine that you’d find pleasant, but not one that will stay with you. For that, you have to talk to me a little bit. I guess it’s just the price you pay.

Can I be any more specific? Sure - let me give it a shot, although most of the wines that I’ve gotten truly excited about down here are the ones that don’t export a whole lot yet, so it doesn’t really help you to go looking for them. If you are so inclined, and you are in the United States, your best bet is to take a good look around The Vines of Mendoza; they have an online store that is comprised mostly of high-quality, small production wines that are not imported through more traditional channels.

Of the larger producers, one of my favorites has always been Catena, and their second label Alamos is usually a safe bet on the lower end. Also Nieto Senetiner… good for the money, and the highest selling wine in Argentina, last I heard. Their Bonarda (affectionately referred to by many of my friends in New York as ‘the license-plate wine,’ due to it’s characteristic metal label) was one of the first Argentine wines that truly impressed me, when I started working for Winebow years ago. It’s some pretty massive vino, and I don’t recommend drinking it on its own, but it’s getting colder up there now in the US and the time for such wines is coming. Rutini is one of the most historic in Mendoza, and their wines are both tasty and relatively easy to find on the export market… Achaval Ferrer is the most highly rated Argentine winery by the North-American wine press, and pretty yummy stuff it is, although I don’t know how many of my friends can afford it. Luigi Bosca and Susannah Balbo are both good and easy to find; you can’t really go wrong with any of these wines, although you may not go especially right, either.

It’s hard for me to be more helpful than this at the moment, as I’m currently obsessed with my own search for wines that are not available up there yet, and which you’ll therefore have to wait to taste. Or come visit me here. The options are constantly multiplying, both inside of Argentina and out, which is why I recommend honestly that you go look for something you’ve never heard of, something I haven’t suggested on here.

Why don’t you find something that you love, and tell ME about it? After all, I’m in this to learn, too.

November 4th, 2007 | vino | No comments