AnuvaBlog

Walking into The Beaumont on 150th last night, I felt at ease with the marble inlay and incredible decor of this gorgeous apartment building. My comfort and Janis’s wonderful ability to host (and project her voice) made this evening quite wonderful and enjoyable for all comers.

Although we did have a sock lady with lights on her ankles leave without trying any wine. Hmm. I got over that in about 3 seconds though, as we did have so many that were really appreciative.

Thankfully, we got an extra hour of sleep too.

Thanks Akasha and Kelly so much for having us over.

It was a birthday party atmosphere last night with much discussion about how we select our wines and how we import them.  Anecon Torrontés seemed to be the early favorite but it was surpassed by Mudai Pinot Noir and the Don Juan Reserve.

We sang happy birthday toward the end as I quickly though over the idea of wine pairings with the cupcakes that were present. What goes with pink frosting over vanilla cake?

Many thanks to Matt and Tatiana for organizing this event in their lovely home.

Lourdes was especially excited to have an even closer view of the Empire State Building which glowed red last night.

We had a full menu to go with the usual smattering of Torrontés, Bonarda, Malbec and other wines. Especially popular was the Mudai Pinot Noir. We found some great cheese combinations with the Bonarda especially. Combining the Bonarda with the brie we decided–after a supremely intellectual discussion of the subject of food/wine combining (”Eat what tastes good”)–brought out a decidedly pronounced black cherry flavor on the palate. A wonderful experience.

Equally wonderful was the dark chocolate with the Don Juan Reserve blend.

All the great food combining brought up the subject of biodynamic wines. We almost got Kelly to show us his biodynamic wine dance that evening, which apparently he may be taking off-Broadway shortly. He declined to comment how far off-Broadway.

First, thank yous to Carlos and Randy, two wonderful gentlemen who have been extremely generous and kind to us here at Anuva.

Last night saw a small gathering of friends and neighbors at Carlos’ house, exemplifying exactly what wine is all about: bringing together good people and good conversation. After getting the rooftop tour from Carlos, which was a delight for Lourdes’ first day ever in NYC, we went downstairs to pour wine. (Said Carlos as we traipsed his Zen styled roof terrace (from left to right in a near 360 degree panorama): “…the Empire State building, the Chrysler building, Mid-town, downtown, Martha Stewart’s house, Calvin Klein’s house, Tom (Brady) and Gizelle’s house. Oh right, and Bono lives there.”)

Besides the Zaino and Cavagnaro Malbec’s, and the Reserve Don Juan which always capture the attention of our crowds, Mayol Bonarda got a lot of “wow’s” and “very nice’s” from our guests. I am convinced that this has to do with the unique nature of the varietal Bonarda in general. It is something that simply doesn’t exist in the U.S. on a broad level. We hope to change this.

The surprise last night was the arrival of Amy. How was I to know that they had invited former faculty from my high school to this gig? After learning that she had switched from teaching English in Portland, OR (my home town), to becoming a professional photographer, we drank wine and continued the festivities.

It’s sample tasting time at Anuva, and we had 8 Malbecs yesterday, most from the high desert region of Salta, near the Bolivian border. Unfortunately, we were highly disappointed with yesterdays showing. Most were medicinal (overly so), undeveloped and unexpressive. Some were downright flawed. But this is the process that we so nobly suffer through at Anuva in order to bring you the best of the undiscovered wines of Argentina.

What included at this tasting a group of Chardonnay, that several winemakers/wineries insisted we try and were pleasantly surprised with one in particular. Urraca oaked Chardonnay is one Chardonnay that I might consider putting into the wine club. I always hesitate to put Chardonnay(or Cab-Sav for that matter) into the club as they are two varitals that are produced in enormous quantities in other regions of the world.

But this buttery-as-hell Chardonnay was really quite enjoyable. As full as a white wine can get, with a supple texture and oozing butter aromas and buttery taste (along with some green apple and a nice dancing feel on the palate), we were quite pleased with this wine.

We shall see if it becomes the first Chardonnay varietal to make it into the club.

The “Vinos y Bodegas 2008″ fair was this last weekend here in Buenos Aires and many a person turned out. One of the things that always amazes me about the vast majority of Argentine bodegas (wineries) is how few of them do any blending. All of them have a Malbec and most have Cabernet, Syrah, Chardonnay, Merlot and maybe some Bonarda, Torrontés, Pinot Noir, Tannat, Sauvignon Blanc, or other varietals, but they sell them only as that: varietals.

Certainly varietals make for great wines and also play to that genre categorization feature that people tend to like in their products (i.e. knowing what they are going to get), but it leaves out the possibility for more personalized “winemaker” wines. I love it when you get a wine like Don Juan where the winemaker explains to you how many iterations he went through in determining the 70/11/10/9 split of Malbec/Syrah/Bonarda/Merlot. This is what makes great wine.

I think that for starting out and for understanding each of the varietals and how typicity works, that single varietal wines are fine. More than fine. Many are great. I would have to say that blends often take the best aspects of many wines that a winery or winemaker does and brings them together to form a masterpiece.

The 4th annual International Wine Forum in Mendoza, Argentina saw many industry leaders and experts gather to discuss the future of Malbec, wine and Argentina. Among the topics discussed was the direction of the signature Argentine wine industry, Malbec.

Exports are way up in terms of both volume and dollar value, and everyday we are reading more about and hearing more about the fabulous wines coming out of Argentina. So how could it be possible to make Malbec more marketable? Several ways:

1. Branding efforts. Big wineries are developing the brands of wine that they don’t classically deal in. Now, Anuva doesn’t deal with big wineries at all, but we are a tiny piece of the wine industry in Argentina, and we do have to pay attention to the things that Trapiche, Zuccardi and Catena are doing. The first two, known as makers of table wine primarily, are putting huge amounts of dollars and effort behind creating higher end Malbecs. Zuccardi now has Q and Z and both wineries are coming out with single vineyard Malbecs. Catena, traditionally a higher end producer, is concentrating tons of effort on its Alamos brand and Salentein with its Callia brand (due out in the U.S. before the end of the year).

2. Flexible styles. Malbec from Argentina can be made into a soft, fruit forward wine and also a concentrated oak aged powerhouse. This means that within the same varietal, many variations can be found that would please people with different tastes.

3. Unbeatable price/quality relationship. Argentina has the lowest labor and lowest land costs out of any major wine making region in the world. That means that all the quality gets to the consumer at less cost.

Here is what the American Association of Wine Economists have said about Malbec and Argentina (taken from this link):

“The Association’s working paper showed that “a driving force of Argentina’s export boom has been the admirable quality of its wines, particularly the attraction of its emblematic Malbec. But given that its uniqueness is a key element of Malbec’s appeal, is the wine’s lure ultimately a temporary fad? Will consumers tire of Malbec in time? Should the Argentine industry continue to stake its fortunes largely on this one successful varietal, or should it seek to promote new wines on the international market?”

Stein answers these questions by highlighting the opinion of experts, most of whom “voice optimism about the long-term prospects of Malbec. Among its enthusiasts are some of the wine world’s most influential critics and consultants. Remember that Robert Parker hardly evoked the image of a passing fancy when he asserted that during the next decade Malbec would take its place among ‘the pantheon of noble wines.’ Parker’s Argentine representative Jay Miller expressed similar views on his recent visits to Argentina: ‘To conquer the market, Argentina should continue promoting Malbec….Malbec is what distinguishes Argentina within the multitude….Malbec is real, it is not something that will go out of style….Malbec has great room to grow, because from its entry-price wines on up you find very good options.’ Renowned French consultant Michel Rolland is even more categorical in his support: ‘There is no reason for Argentina to change varietal. It is functioning so well with Malbec that I see no reason to try something else.’”

I have been through the Cafayate region and its surrounding twice to visit various Bodegas (wineries) and I find the region resembles something out of a Salvador Dalí painting.

Besides my watch nearly melting onto my wrist, this desolate, arid landscape stretches infinitely into the horizon. Traveling by bus between wineries and through much of the outskirts of the region (all the way until La Paz, Bolivia actually, stopping in Uyuni to see the truly spectacular Salar de Uyuni–the world’s largest salt flat–and other high desert locales) I kept thinking to myself, “How do people live here?” In reality, the people of the region–much more “indigenous” looking, short and dark than the very European looking Porteños–have very little to live on besides llama meat, products made from llama wool, and a few specialized types of high desert corn that grow there. Besides that, the only thing that grows is grapes.

For grape-growing, and especially for Torrontés grapes, no better region in the world exists. At 2000+ meters altitude (over 6000 feet–as high as Timerbline Lodge for you Portlanders out there) the diurnal temperature differential is enormous, it never rains yet water sources are close, and the soil makes the grapes work hard. Some very interesting Malbec comes out of that region as well.

Here is what Matt Kramer, a wine writer for various publications has to say about one particular malbec:

One of the pesky things about wine is all the names: grape varieties, producers, regions, districts, brands and so on. No sooner do you feel that, finally, you have a grip on one slippery subject than another unfamiliar appears. Here’s one more: Cafayate Valley.

Never heard of it? You will, I promise. Located in northern Argentina, the valley is the source of some of Argentina’s best wines, especially (but not exclusively) malbec.

Cafayate Valley has some of the world’s highest-elevation vineyards, typically at 5,500 feet. (In comparison, a high elevation vineyard in California is 1,500 to 2,200 feet.) Such an elevation guarantees diurnal temperature extremes, where afternoon temperatures plummet at night, typically from the mid-80s during the day to the mid-50s at night. This preserves acidity, which would otherwise “bake out” during warm nights.

The valley sees little rain (three to six inches a year) and tremendous sunshine. Surrounded by the Andes Mountains, the vineyards are irrigated thanks to ample water from mountain snowpacks.

What matters is what you find in the glass. In the case of Cuma Malbec 2007 from Michel Torino Estate, you’ll discover a startlingly fine red wine delivering not just the expected plum and black currant flavors but an unexpected measure of earthy, almost medicinal notes that may derive from the zone’s rocky soils. One thing is clear: What you’re tasting is no simple “pure fruit” play. There’s a dimension that comes from the site itself, not just the grape.

Because the Cafayate Valley is so dry, it lends itself easily to organic vineyard practices (no molds or rot that plague winegrowers in humid or wet locales that require sprays). Michel Torino Estate, with 1,500 acres of vines, is committed to organically grown grapes, with Cuma 2007 made entirely from certified organic grapes.

Cuma, by the way, means “clean and pure” in the language of the Aymara, who occupied the high elevations of northern Argentina before the Incas.

This is impressive, dimensional, even eye-opening red wine of considerable subtlety, finesse and refinement.Click here for the whole article that was published in The Oregonian on August 17, 2008.

As many of you may have read in the news last week, Wine Spectator has gotten caught with their pants down a bit. Pretty much at their ankles.

Robin Goldstein, author of The Wine Trials–a book that critiques the wine industry’s own methods of wine criticism, publicity, ratings, advertising and pricing–sent in an entry to apply for Wine Spectator’s “award for excellence” for restaurants and his Osteria L’Intrepido restaurant in Milan, Italy won.

The enormous, gargantuan problem with this, however, is that his restaurant does not exist. Oops!

Besides the obvious problem of not doing their homework–and perhaps worse than giving an award to a restaurant that doesn’t exist–is the fact that Wine Spectator itself had berated many of the wines that Goldstein put on his phantom list. I quote the Chicago Tribune article: “[the wine list includes the] 1993 Amarone Classico Gioe S. Sofia, which the magazine once likened to ‘paint thinner and nail varnish.’” Another wine that was included on the list was described by Wine Spectator as “earthy, swampy, gamy, harsh and tannic. ” So not only does Wine Spectator give out bogus awards, but they give awards to wines lists that include wines for which they have given terrible reviews. Oops squared.

As if that weren’t enough, Wine Spectator charges each applicant a $250 fee to “apply” for the award. They get roughly 4500 applicants per year. Let’s do the math: 4500 x 250 = 1.125 million dollars.

So let me get this straight, ostensibly the most prestigious, auspicious and well-known wine publication in the world not only gives out awards to entities that do not exist but they clearly do not check to see if those entities carry products that they have already declared in print to be inferior, flawed or distasteful and at the same time they make millions of dollars doing it?

What is unnerving to me is that our new publicist and I wanted desperately to find a way to put our product into WS. How can I now, as the sole full-time defender of my product, consciously make the decision to go after publicity in WS? The answer is that I cannot.

Last week we had several upstanding citizens of the English speaking Expat community over to sample Anuva’s wines. What a hit it was! We had a total of 9 Americans and Brits here and while our discussion began about wine, winemaking, wine tasting and drinking, and the malbecs, bonardas and blends we were drinking, we ended up talking about politics, travel and business ideas.

The biggest hit, not surprisingly, was the Don Juan from Las Perdices which was the reserve wine served that night. It’s a complicated mouthful of 14 months of oak aged malbec blended with syrah, bonarda and merlot. Full, velvety and luscious.

A great treat for the tasting was a spicy sausage brought by one of our British members. Caked with pepper, this is one of the few foods I have found in Argentina that actually makes my body temperature rise. And what a combination with the Malbecs and the Bonarda. The pepper of the sausage really brought out different characteristics in all of these wines. Just goes to show there is always something new to learn about wine, food and their combinations. Especially with good company.