Argentine Wines 101 and Q&A thread
Feb 5, 2018, 7:44 am
#586
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: MIA / EZE
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Ive never had nor heard of issues with checking a box of Wine with Delta, provided its properly packed. Ive flown DL myself with Wine but also have clients that use DL regularly to take back wines they purchase from us and have not had reports of issues. At one point DL agents in EZE were misreading some rules and thinking that Wine was a flammable liquid and therefore were trying to place limits of total volume transported but this also went away after a few initial reports... wine is clearly not something that lights up, its alcohol content is far below hard liquor so there is nothing to worry about.
Sorry for replying to this so late, too bad you didnt send me a PM....
Cheers from Buenos Aires,
Gaucho100K
Sorry for replying to this so late, too bad you didnt send me a PM....
Cheers from Buenos Aires,
Gaucho100K
Question for Gaucho100K and other Argentina experts:
I am planning to bring a case of wine from Mendoza to the US as checked luggage. I’d planned to buy a styrofoam shipping box like Gaucho recommends, but I just found in Delta’s fine print that boxes are not accepted as checked luggage to/from South America. I have a less than ideal route home (MDZ-ATL-MCO), with Aerolineas Argentinas for the first leg and DL for the last two; DL issued the ticket. I have too many bottles to fit into my checked bag. Any ideas on how I may be able to get my wine safely checked home?
Thank you all in advance!!
I am planning to bring a case of wine from Mendoza to the US as checked luggage. I’d planned to buy a styrofoam shipping box like Gaucho recommends, but I just found in Delta’s fine print that boxes are not accepted as checked luggage to/from South America. I have a less than ideal route home (MDZ-ATL-MCO), with Aerolineas Argentinas for the first leg and DL for the last two; DL issued the ticket. I have too many bottles to fit into my checked bag. Any ideas on how I may be able to get my wine safely checked home?
Thank you all in advance!!
Feb 5, 2018, 7:46 am
#587
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Thanks for the heads-up Cyborg. I must confess to not having heard of Tiano & Nareno, do you have the name of the Bodega (Producer)....?
JAL shows a 2014 Tiano & Nareno on their F menu starting 18 January. I looked it up and it is a red blend from various vineyards in Mendoza. Sells for upwards of $300 US at a few shops here in the states. Has anyone every tried this? I found this an interesting addition to their offerings this month as they just stopped carrying Salon and serve Cristal 2009 instead with a 2009 LE Bollinger Rose on the side.
Cheers,
-Cyborg
Cheers,
-Cyborg
Feb 5, 2018, 8:25 am
#588
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Paris, France
Programs: Flying Blue Gold
Posts: 760
Never heard of Tiano & Nareno either but it seems it is one of Argentina's most expensive wines. Can't find the name of the Bodega.
Most websites I found and T&N's twitter feed seem targeted towards Japanese customers, so perhaps it's a tailor-made wine for the Japanese taste?
Anyhow, it's always nice to see Argentine wines in premium cabins
Most websites I found and T&N's twitter feed seem targeted towards Japanese customers, so perhaps it's a tailor-made wine for the Japanese taste?
Anyhow, it's always nice to see Argentine wines in premium cabins
Feb 5, 2018, 8:36 am
#589
Join Date: Apr 2009
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US Importer for Tiano & Nareno is
DOMAINE SELECT IMPORTS
DOMAINE SELECT WINE ESTATES LLC
105 MADISON AVE , 13TH FLOOR
NEW YORK, NY 10016
Stephen Tanzer wrote about in July 2017 Argentina New Releases: Cool Times in the Desert (Jul 2017), 7/1/2017
Mendoza Post Article:
Los 10 vinos argentinos más caros del mundo son mendocinos - Mendoza Post
DOMAINE SELECT IMPORTS
DOMAINE SELECT WINE ESTATES LLC
105 MADISON AVE , 13TH FLOOR
NEW YORK, NY 10016
Stephen Tanzer wrote about in July 2017 Argentina New Releases: Cool Times in the Desert (Jul 2017), 7/1/2017
Mendoza Post Article:
Los 10 vinos argentinos más caros del mundo son mendocinos - Mendoza Post
Last edited by Flying Machine; Feb 5, 2018 at 8:52 am
May 30, 2018, 12:41 pm
#591
Moderator, Argentina and FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Its interesting that a winery would need to talk about other producers products instead of focusing on their own juice..... unless of course they think that their stuff doesn't stand its ground....????
As for Malbec made outside Argentina, I have somewhat limited exposure to "French Malbec" and have only tasted a handful of California Malbecs. In my experience, the only region outside of Argentina where Ive found Malbec that made my bells ring was in South Africa. I am of course (very) biased on all things Malbec, but I would venture to guess that Australia must also have some good Malbec made somewhere.... and also California must be doing it right - its just a matter of finding the right producer.
Having said all this.... you know where to go if you want the "real thing".... LOL
As for Malbec made outside Argentina, I have somewhat limited exposure to "French Malbec" and have only tasted a handful of California Malbecs. In my experience, the only region outside of Argentina where Ive found Malbec that made my bells ring was in South Africa. I am of course (very) biased on all things Malbec, but I would venture to guess that Australia must also have some good Malbec made somewhere.... and also California must be doing it right - its just a matter of finding the right producer.
Having said all this.... you know where to go if you want the "real thing".... LOL
Last edited by Gaucho100K; May 30, 2018 at 4:06 pm
May 30, 2018, 1:58 pm
#592
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I was tasting at Provenance Vineyards in Napa last week and the person serving the wine told us that Malbec from Argentina tastes like licorice root and dirty soil. She then poured their Malbec which tasted like bland fruit with oak overtone table wine with no particular character. I've never experienced a decent California Malbec and was not impressed with this person's approach to selling their mediocre product and wondered if she even had invested any time exploring and tasting the "Real Thing". Don't think this is something practiced by the winery as a standard sales pitch, but you never know. Has anyone else experienced this?
Cheers,
-Cyborg
Cheers,
-Cyborg
May 30, 2018, 4:10 pm
#593
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On the issue of Cahors, its relevant to point out that a good portion of French Producers that are working with the Malbec Grape have started to label their Juice as Malbec, at least as an addition to their appellation. Malbec as a "category" has just gotten that level of relevance in the World Stage that the French have realized that Malbec sells more than some lesser brand, chateau or appellation that nobody has heard about....
In addition, for over 10 years now, a very large number of Argentine Winemakers and Agronomists are constantly being hired by French Wineries to not only make their wines but also advise on the best practices related to crop and vineyard management is proof that Argentina has created Malbec into a "monster" of its own..... Cahors and other French Malbec producing regions have realized that they have to jump on the Argentine bandwagon if they want to make decent wines with this Grape.
In addition, for over 10 years now, a very large number of Argentine Winemakers and Agronomists are constantly being hired by French Wineries to not only make their wines but also advise on the best practices related to crop and vineyard management is proof that Argentina has created Malbec into a "monster" of its own..... Cahors and other French Malbec producing regions have realized that they have to jump on the Argentine bandwagon if they want to make decent wines with this Grape.
May 30, 2018, 6:06 pm
#595
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I did mention that she should at least try some Luca Malbec (available locally) since Laura Catena is/was a UCSF doctor who happens to be part of the Catena wine family and that she should try at least a bottle of that before judging the whole county on whatever basis she had previously...
I'm rarely in any sort of corporate tasting room with multi-national conglomerate ownership. Not that it doesn't occasionally happen, but your Provenance experience is not atypical for such a visit. Still, I do wonder how someone dreams up the taste of "dirty" soil.
May 31, 2018, 5:54 pm
#597
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On the issue of Cahors, its relevant to point out that a good portion of French Producers that are working with the Malbec Grape have started to label their Juice as Malbec, at least as an addition to their appellation. Malbec as a "category" has just gotten that level of relevance in the World Stage that the French have realized that Malbec sells more than some lesser brand, chateau or appellation that nobody has heard about....
In addition, for over 10 years now, a very large number of Argentine Winemakers and Agronomists are constantly being hired by French Wineries to not only make their wines but also advise on the best practices related to crop and vineyard management is proof that Argentina has created Malbec into a "monster" of its own..... Cahors and other French Malbec producing regions have realized that they have to jump on the Argentine bandwagon if they want to make decent wines with this Grape.
In addition, for over 10 years now, a very large number of Argentine Winemakers and Agronomists are constantly being hired by French Wineries to not only make their wines but also advise on the best practices related to crop and vineyard management is proof that Argentina has created Malbec into a "monster" of its own..... Cahors and other French Malbec producing regions have realized that they have to jump on the Argentine bandwagon if they want to make decent wines with this Grape.
Clos La Coutale
May 31, 2018, 6:47 pm
#598
Join Date: Apr 2009
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CLOS LA COUTALE
Deep in the southwest of France, amidst dramatic rock formations and cliffs, the Lot River slowly snakes its way along the valley floor, coiling covetously around the charming town of Cahors. The diversity in architecture serves as a proud historical mark left by many previous generations of inhabitants. Once a former Roman town, Cahors was also as a center of commerce during the Middle Ages that served as an important crossroads for pilgrims on the trail to Santiago de Compostella. Among the many specialties that have brought pride to the region, the constant has been its wine. A.O.C. Cahors is known as the “black wine” of the Southwest—the deeply inky, earthy wines that seem to complement the regional fare of duck (and duck fat!) so wonderfully. Cahors is also the birthplace of Cot, the grape more commonly known as Malbec. The Bernède family is an intricate part of this tradition, watching over one of the region’s oldest domaines that was founded before the French Revolution.Today, Cahors’ jack-of-all-trades and Renaissance man, Philippe Bernède, continues the family tradition with both heart and ingenuity. Philippe’s vines rest upon the gentle slopes that rise up from the Lot River. He farms sixty hectares of land along the alluvial terraces of the Lot Valley that are rich in siliceous, clay, and limestone soils. The microclimate of the vineyards is ideal, with southwest sun exposure and topographic protection against the frost. Over the years, Philippe has tinkered with the house blend to achieve a greater equilibrium. Today, the blend consists of 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot, creating an intense wine that juggles elegant rusticity with everyday drinkability. Coutale has quite a record of age-worthiness as well and Philippe is not afraid to pull out older vintages of his wines alongside much more expensive Bordeaux. They stand up pretty well! Nothing beats a bécasse or cassoulet with an old Coutale, but a simple steak fits the bill just fine. Philippe’s genius is not only evidenced by his wines—he is also the proud inventor of a successful line of double-hinged corkscrews that stands to change your future bottle-opening experiences!
Jun 4, 2018, 3:01 pm
#600
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Sad Day for the Argentina Wine World
Falleció Ricardo Santos, ex propietario de Bodegas Norton y primer bodeguero en exportar Malbec de la Argentina en 1972. Se fue una de las grandes figuras de la vitivinicultura argentina y un precursor en proyectar la calidad de los vinos argentinos en el mundo.