Author: Christine Sismondo
On the south-eastern edge of the Andes,
in Argentina’s “Cordillera,” small vineyards
crawl up the sides of the hills, precariously
perched between jutting rocks, heading
up the trails to the treacherous passes on
the route to Chile—on the other side of the
mountains.
Far from the nearest towns in the
country’s Mendoza wine region, this isn’t
easy terrain to plant, maintain or harvest,
especially given the dry, rocky soil. So why
go to such great lengths to grow grapes on
the side of a mountain range? Well, to bend
a cliché, it’s in the hopes that whatever
doesn’t kill the grapes will make them
stronger—and, hopefully, take Argentinian
wine to the next level.
Down the hill, in the Uco Valley, there’s
no shortage of fruity Malbec being ripened
in the region’s constant great weather—
over 320 days of sunshine per year. The
wine is eagerly snapped up by its many
fans abroad, who love the fruit-forward
flavour profile of this easy drinking wine,
which has become one of the most popular
imported wines in Canada—with both retail
consumers and Canada’s top sommeliers.
“I think it strikes a fun balance between
being fruit-forward and savoury,” says Jon
Mann, head sommelier at Leña, a downtown
Toronto restaurant that specializes in South
American food and wine. “It tastes of
assertive dark fruit, balanced by a peppery,
almost leathery flavour profile, which hits
on a lot of points people want. And I think
if they’re spending $12 to $15 on a bottle,
they’re getting a lot of value.”
Not everyone loves that big, bold
S y l va n u s - U r b a n . c o m
flavour profile, however, which is why some
winem akers are heading for the hills, where
the growing conditions are distinct enough
that the grape (and resulting wine) will taste
different, thanks to the miracle of terroir.
Mann refers to the high-altitude Malbecs,
grown in sub-regions such as “Altamira” and
“Tupungato,” as more “European” in style,
adding that they’re softer, more delicate
and a little more fresh-tasting. What’s more,
cooler climate grapes thrive in the chilly
mountains, meaning that the region is also
producing fantastic sparkling wine (hard
to find in Canada) and Chardonnay, which
is starting to be a more common find here.
Bodega Catena, for example, has a range
that is widely available to us, from the
award-winning White Stones Adrianna
vineyard Chardonnay (about $100 a
bottle) to the much more budget-friendly
every-day drinking High Mountain Vines
Chardonnay (roughly $20).
This might surprise the many people
who think Argentina is a one-hit wonder
with its bold, food-friendly Malbec—so
popular that people outside the country
might be forgiven for thinking Malbec is
the only wine they make. In a way, it’s a
victim of its own success, something a new
generation of winemakers is working to
change.
“I noticed that everybody’s working
extra hard to prove they can produce world
class wine,” says Mann, of his recent trip
to the region. “What’s unique to Argentina
is the geography, and they really pride
themselves on producing ambitious wine
from staggering altitudes.”
On the edge of the mountain. And on
the verge of greatness.
The Edge
08