Wine Tasting with Anuva Wines

On Saturday night I was invited to a private wine tasting in Las Cañitas by Daniel Karlin, founder and owner of Anuva Wines. Anuva is a wine distribution company which sends high quality boutique Argentine wines to 32 states in the U.S. and also hosts small wine tastings here in Buenos Aires. My goal was to experience the wine tasting and write a review for Argentina's Travel Guide. Like I always manage to do, I showed up too early, so I took a quick stroll around the block and saw how lovely and quiet the area was. This was definitely the right atmosphere for a refined wine tasting.

We went upstairs with the couple from Dallas who was there for the wine tasting, and began with the presentation. Already on the table were the five glasses waiting to be filled and a plate delicately prepared with the pairings of food. I've been to wine tastings before in Sicily and in Mendoza, but this was different. Rather than being rushed through a distillery with a guide who doesn't fully reach fluent status, we were in Karlin's home, and we were quickly made to feel like old pals. Karlin is actually an American expat, so aside from his perfect English, he had a different perspective to give us for restaurants, politics, and culture. This isn't a lesson that should be taken for granted, and to be honest I think it's one of the best and most distinguishing qualities of this experience.

We tried our five wines and ate our five foods. My favorite was definitely the San Gimignano Malbec Roble, which to me just had this buttery taste that made me feel warm and content. I easily could have had an entire bottle of it, and with any luck one day soon I'll get a bottle for myself. Of course, the other bottles were also excellent, with two whites and two additional reds.

My only regret is that I wasn't aware of this wine tasting when I first arrived to Argentina. It really was helpful and insightful for those who aren't wine experts, let alone those who've got extensive knowledge of boutique wineries in Argentina. Even after living here eight months and learning so much about the wine here, I didn't feel like anything discussed was old news. The history of the labels, the production, and the explanation of why this country produces such excellent wine went with the tasting just as much as the delicious food did.

Now, while the tasting costs U$40, I won't say it's overpriced. Let me explain. To me, U$40 is a hefty price for most things, but that's because I live here making an Argentine salary and getting charged for things in US Dollars. I live as cheaply as possible. But if you're traveling through the country and really want to try good wine but don't know where to start, I wholeheartedly recommend this activity. Do the right thing and don't just settle on the most expensive bottle at the restaurant. For 40 bucks you get a hell of a value, not to mention personalized service and recommendations for later on as well.

Don't just take my word for it though. Anuva's reviews on TripAdvisor speak for themselves. Check out this wine tasting in Buenos Aires and let me know what your thoughts are.

Interview with a Wine Expert

Today I was lucky enough to have a phone interview with Dr. Jay Miller, of the Wine Advocate. The Wine Advocate is one of the best sources for information and articles on the best wines around the world, and Dr. Miller is the reviewer for South American wines. So basically, he is the man to ask about wine, especially Argentinian wine.

I got in touch with Dr. Miller when I was still updating information on Wine Country to see if I could get a quote about his favorite Argentinian wine and his recommendations. We scheduled a time and today I called him in Baltimore. These are some of the things that I heard.

Dr. Miller's Top 3 Argentinian wines (keep in mind, he is the source for this stuff) are

• Catena Zapata
• Achaval Ferrer
• Viña Cobos

I was actually fortunate enough to have gone for a tour and tasting at the Catena Zapata winery when I toured Wine Country last month. Even with my limited knowledge of wine, I would agree that it was very good. I haven't tried the other two, though I have read about them in my work. Viña Cobos is actually co-owned by Paul Hobbes, an American winemaker.

Dr. Miller also told me that Patagonia has yet to be seen as a great wine making region, though it is up and coming. Right now those wineries are mostly focusing on Pinot Noir and sparkling wine. Meanwhile in Salta, another wine region of Argentina, there are historic vines from the first settlers that produce interesting results.

In all of this, Dr. Miller did say that Chilean wine is making a run for it and challenging Argentinian brands, but it's always difficult to pinpoint one wine that is the best out of an entire continent. However, Catena Zapata was mentioned again as "a benchmark that other wines are compared to."

So there you have it. A little inside scoop from one of the most trusted voices on wine, sharing a few kind words with yours truly. The next time you're looking for a bottle of wine, try looking for these brands and thank Dr. Miller.

Above: The Catena Zapata winery

Like A Fine Wine

Since I've started my job, I've been fortunate enough to be reading up entirely on Wine Country, the many wine vineyards in Argentina, and how to taste and appreciate wine, among other things. There's a whole world and culture when it comes to wine, and as 2 weeks of 9 hours a day will prove to you, there's much more than you could possibly imagine.

So much goes into wine. Beyond the grapes. Beyond the soil. Beyond the oak barrels and bottling. There are the little things like elevation and humidity, temperature, latitude. All of these things play a part in the texture and eventual taste of a wine. When you walk down the wine aisle at the liquor store, there's really so much more that should be going through your head than "Red? White? Price?"

There are so many wineries specializing in so many different things. Everyone thinks they have found the best land and are using the latest methods. Others prefer to say they are using traditional methods. It wasn't until the 1970s that wine production in Argentina changed from mass quantity to a domestic market to better quality to an international market. They might make less wine to sort out the better grapes, but every year new wineries open up, and the competition rises with the numbers.

I've been reading, as part of my job, how to properly taste wine. And I've tried practicing it myself. Put your nose close to the glass, but wait. Then put your nose in and smell it. You should detect something. Put a little bit of wine in your mouth, but don't swallow. Swish it around, blow in some air, open your mouth, breath out of your nose. I guess if you're a sommelier, there's some taste party going on in your mouth. For most people, it's not as intense.

Watch for the legs as they drip down the glass. Hold the glass up to a white surface, or your hand if need be, and look for the color of the wine. Swivel it around and let it oxidize. Sip again. Detect the age, how it was bottled, what impurities it has, or if you're lucky, doesn't have. This is a delicious yet complex game. And you must really be skilled to see it all. Like some genius chess whiz-kid, some people got it, and some don't. It's not just grape in there, my friend. Strawberry, blueberry, gooseberry (which I didn't even know about), damp straw, dirt, oak--these are all the flavors you should notice.

Or, if you're like me, you taste one thing: Booze.

Above: Just living the dream

A Send Off For a Friend

Today is Kristine's last day here in Argentina. Tomorrow she will fly away to Quito via Panama, but you can't really count that as a day since she's going to the airport early in the morning. We've pretty much covered all of the bases here in Buenos Aires, mostly because so many museums are closed either for repairs or due to Swine Flu. Yet we still have some things to do.

She was going to surprise me with a gift, but she wanted to know what kind of Mate gourd I would like, so now we have to go in search of one. Mate is the typical tea everyone drinks here, and though it's bitter and hot the first few tries, eventually you get used to it. I was planning on buying my own eventually, but Kristine insists on getting me something. We walked around a while yesterday trying to find the right one, but all we found were touristy ones with intricate designs, and I just want a regular one that locals have.

After talking to some people we were advised to go to Once, the neighborhood that my mother once lived in, to find a regular Mate gourd. So this morning we will head to Once and try our luck. After that we'll come back to my apartment so she can pick up the rest of her luggage, drop that off at her hostel, and then get some work done. By work done, I mean Kristine will go to a beauty salon for an hour or so and I'll get a 5 minute hair cut, then sit around.

Other plans for the day include meeting up with her boyfriends' sister, who lives in Buenos Aires, to bring some things back to Ecuador with her. We also want to try eating at a restaurant called Siga La Vaca, which is an all you can eat steak house where they also serve you a liter of wine, beer, or soda. It might be a little expensive by our standards here, but after all, you get all you can eat Argentinian steak and wine. Not too bad.

Three things we had planned on doing constantly on this trip were eating steak, drinking wine, and watching or dancing Tango. The first two were done very well, but we never found a Tango show. Kristine's hostel actually gives free lessons on Thursdays, so we're going to participate in that tonight, then head out with the hostel group to a Milonga, a place where you can see a Tango show and then dance too. So without trying to get all of the last sites crammed in, we're simply going to have a nice little day together and then go our separate ways. I'm going to be sad to see her go.

Wine Tasting in Maipú (Mendoza)

I didn't really have any fear about taking the night bus last night from Buenos Aires to Mendoza. With past experience taking the bus in Chile and Peru, I knew that it was a totally different story from Ecuador, and I did not expect my experience to be replicated in Argentina. The worst thing I was looking at was the length of the trip. as 14 hours can drag on and on, especially if you can't sleep.

When Kristine and I got to the terminal for our "7:20 pm" bus we discovered that it was really leaving at 7, and we had made it just in time. Things moved more smoothly here, with actual security checking bags with a metal detector before getting on the bus, and we took off promptly. The bus was nearly empty, and aside from a few other stops to pick up a passenger or two, we had the top floor almost entirely to ourselves. We sat in shock at how luxurious the bus was, with plus, comfy seats that reclined far back. With a front row view, it was like watching an IMAX as we moved out in the dark to the west.

After a lousy movie and a dinner of fried country steak, some other sides, and 3 servings of cheap wine in a Styrofoam cup, the lights were turned off. At first we both fell asleep easily, but even being in the higher class doesn't change the fact that you're on a bus. You hit bumps, make sudden jolts, and have street lights coming into your face. Around 4 am we discovered that we could extend the seats all the way to a 180* angle, and from then on we slept a little better, though we were cold and under dressed. We were surprised to be woken up for breakfast and quickly there after arriving in Mendoza. It was the quickest 14 hour bus trip ever. We actually got in a little early.

The travel agency I work for arranged a taxi to pick us up and take us to Club Tapiz, the hotel we are staying in tonight in the small town just outside of Mendoza called Maipú. Maipú is known for its many wine vineyards and olive oil factories. We showered and changed, checked out the grounds, and then headed out in complimentary bikes from the hotel to tour some of the vineyards.

Together we biked around 10 kilometers, stopping along the side of the road for some cheap ham sandwiches and olives. The people were very friendly, and after talking to them for a bit they offered us some wine for free and gave us a discount on the food, giving us the olives for practically nothing. It was cold and overcast, but the day was going great so far.

Continuing on we went to the first vineyard recommended to us, Carinae. Carinae is a French influenced wine that is rich in taste, but isn't generally available in the United States. After a short tour for 15 pesos we sampled three types of wine and moved across the street to the Olivicola Laur, an olive oil company where 10 pesos got us a short 10 minute tour and then a large plate of bread with different types of olive oil and condiments.

We were tired but continued on to Familia di Tommasso, the oldest vineyard in the area. There for 10 pesos we had a tour of the facilities and were given four samples of different kinds of wine. We liked the Malbec so much that we got our own bottle for 18 pesos and will enjoy it tonight from the jacuzzi in the hotel. Tomorrow we'll be moving on to more vineyards and a different hotel, then getting ready to leave Mendoza for the mountains of Córdoba.

Above: Touring wine vineyards in Maipú