Argentina wine explained. Malbec, Torrontés and the Andes.

Wine at the foot of the Andes

Argentina's vineyards stretch more than 1,500 kilometers, from Salta in the north to Chubut in Patagonia. Most lie close to the Andes, in irrigated green oases surrounded by desert. Altitude is the key: vineyards range from near sea level by Buenos Aires to more than 3,300 meters in the far north. High sunlight and big differences between day and night temperatures give a long, slow ripening and fresh yet intense wines.

The first vines came with Spanish colonists who needed wine for Mass. Around 1850 the French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget brought Malbec cuttings from France, and between 1860 and 1930 millions of immigrants from Italy, Spain and France brought better varieties and techniques.

Mendoza and Malbec

Mendoza, in the Cuyo region, accounts for nearly three-quarters of Argentina's wine. It sits in the rain shadow of the Andes, so irrigation comes from mountain meltwater, and vineyards reach about 2,000 meters. Besides Malbec, there are significant plantings of Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Malbec is the flagship grape. It loves sun and dry conditions, giving deep color, lush tannins and flavors of cherry, plum and black pepper, often with floral notes. In the high Uco Valley it leans toward black fruit and violets; Altamira and Gualtallary are names to know. In France, Malbec (also called Côt) lost ground in Bordeaux after the 1956 frost but stayed important in Cahors. Peter Richards MW and Paz Levinson, Best Sommelier of the Americas 2015, taste a Cahors beside an Argentine Malbec to show how far the two styles have grown apart.

Cabernet Franc, Bonarda and Chardonnay

Cabernet Franc was long a blending secret of Mendoza winemakers and is now a rising star in its own right, with plantings up sharply over the last decade. Paz explains why she loves it blended with Malbec. Bonarda, despite its Italian name, is actually the French grape Douce Noir from Savoie; it gives purple wines with cherry and plum fruit and is a great match for pasta with tomato or pizza.

Chardonnay does remarkably well at altitude, from fresh and elegant to bold and age-worthy. In the cool south, Patagonian regions such as Río Negro, Neuquén and Chubut show promise with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.

Torrontés and the far north

In Salta, Catamarca, Tucumán and Jujuy you find the highest vineyards; one in Jujuy is said to be the highest commercial vineyard in the world. Cafayate, in the Calchaquí Valleys, is home to Torrontés, Argentina's signature white. The name covers three related varieties, all crossings of Muscat of Alexandria; Torrontés Riojano is the most aromatic and the best. Expect rose petal, lychee, white peach and orange zest.

The hosts taste an old-vine Torrontés from El Esteco in Cafayate with Paz's ceviche of halibut, lime, chili and coriander. Torrontés also works with empanadas, the regional stew locro, and spicy Thai, Indian or Vietnamese dishes. Well made, it combines a big perfume with an elegant, fresh palate rather than a bitter finish.

The experiment: why some wines need air

Does pulling the cork let a wine breathe? Not really, as Paz explains. Swirling in a big glass helps, and Peter shows the difference between taste and flavor with a blindfold and a jellybean. Then comes a race between an elegant decanter and a kitchen blender. Find out which wine tastes better, and why young, structured reds benefit from air far more than old bottles.

The episode ends with two blind tastings and steak with chimichurri. It helps you prepare for WSET Level 3, with regions, grapes, climate and tasting technique explained.