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?

Such a hideous time in the marketplace has not occurred since the Great Depression. Indeed, many an expert and novice alike predict the likelihood of dire economic conditions. What is interesting is that investment in vintage wine and first growth wine is up.

Could this be a real way to invest your money in a time where every investments seems risky and uncertain? It certainly seems possible.

www.liv-ex.com has a wine market index that includes many of the most historically sought after brands. The index us up 9.5% since the beginning of the year and 7.1% year-on-year. Seems like a good time to invest.

Sommeliers come in all shapes and sizes. Most sommeliers at restaurants will have been in charge or at least had a major part of the creation of the wine list and therefore know that list intimately. But this also means that they will tend to be tied to the wine they have put on their list. Understandable since they are trying to sell you wine for your dinner.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, though, this means that all of the wine will be from Argentina. Not unusual in a protectionist country. In Argentina, foreign wine hardly exists except for at the most posh of restaurants (like 3) and wine shops (literally 3). A sommelier in Argentina, therefore, and especially in Buenos Aires, will be recommending Argentine wine. Funny, that’s what I recommend.

But since wine is all about taste its good to know what you like and how to communicate that idea to the sommelier. If you like fruit forward, young malbecs, then about 50% of all wines made in Argentina will appeal to you. If you like more herbaceous, tannic wines, and actually know what that means, then a sommelier should have no trouble picking one from his list.

Why not start with the basics, though, which is probably what the sommelier will do anyway? Red or white, price range, regional preference, varietal preference. After narrowing this down then, the sommelier will usually try to push you into a slightly higher price range since s/he will work inevitably on commission.

A sommelier must  always ask what you are eating because  food combining is an art, and the sommelier should have designed his/her list around the food at the restaurant.

The same goes for buying at a wine shop. Narrow the choice of wine down by region, price, varietal, characteristics and food combining and you’re good to go.

For those of you who may be a little more new to the wine drinking experience–not just to Malbec, Torrontés and Bonarda–a good glass, wine glass, or crystal glass may not seem that important. Now, I’m not saying that you need to go spend 50 or more dollars per glass on specifically Pinot Noir glasses and then only drink your Pinot from there. What I am saying is that there is a reason that good glassware is considered good.

First, the shape of the glass is very important. The curve of good glassware is specifically crafted to allow aromas and perfumes to be better captured by the glass. If one were to simply drink wine from a lowball or highball glass, the subtleties and richness of many wines with great scents will be lost.

Second, the size of the opening at the top of the glass is important. Red wines, especially heavily oaked reds need more contact with oxygen in order to open and fully express themselves. Hence red wine glasses tend to be larger than white wine glasses.

Third, good crystal cleans easier and more completely than plastic or glass and also does not dissolve at all in the wine, leaving you with only the wine and its characteristics. To illustrate this, everyone knows that if you leave water in a plastic bottle for a while, especially in the sun, you drink it and get a very plastic taste.

Speaking of cleaning wine glasses: one should only use very hot water (Yuji makes a game of trying not to burn himself as scalding water is streaming from the faucet–sounds fun to me!)… no soap/detergent as this will leave a soapy flavor and smell on the glass and contaminate your wine. To disinfect, use a small spray bottle filled with alcohol and rub the glassware down.

Now, this may sound excessive but it all depends on how much of the ritual you like to incorporate into your wine drinking. I am simply here to inform and do not pretend to abide by these procedures 100% of the time. Far from it. But when I get a good wine (let us say, Cavagnaro Reserve Malbec), I will surely spray my glass and wipe it down with alcohol to get rid of detergent smell and clean with hot water.

The idea for my wine club spawned about 12 months ago when I took my Dad to Mendoza. My father is a man who has never like alcohol in any form—no beer, no wine, no spirits. Not for any health reason, mind you, but simply because he didn’t like the taste. After my own awakening to the joy of Argentine wine, I figured he might like a drink at the foot of the Andes. So when I witnessed him purchase 2 cases of a young Malbec at an out of the way bodega (winery), I thought I could make something happen from this.

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A little Argentine wine 101 for everyone who needs it. And even if you don’t, this may provide some good cocktail party sound bites!

It is important to know that wine is not only an agricultural product, but a living thing. Wine changes. In the barrel, in the bottle, in the glass, and even in your mouth, wine will take on new characteristics according to its environment. Wine tasting is extremely subjective. I have met too many winemakers, wine club owners, and wine enthusiasts who tried to convince me that their wine was the best (“Un Vinasso”—a fantastic wine.) When dealing with wine, we can only have preferences. What we at Anuva Vinos claim, therefore, is that our wine represents a particular style and culture. The Argentine style and culture. Easy to drink, fruit forward, and elegant.

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Welcome to our blog! This part of the site is one of my favorites because we can do a deep dive into the latest and greatest things that are happening in wine, the micro-bodega (small wineries) industry and of course, the breathtaking country of Argentina. Before I get ahead of myself, I want to take a step back and give you the lowdown on how Anuva Vinos got started.

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