We have some truly superb new reds due in shortly from small family boutique vineyards. The quality of these wines has to be sampled to be believed! With the Euro increasing the price of Italian wines, Argentina is set for a boom in trade.Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world and until recently was a large consumer too. However economic crisis and spiralling inflation have helped reduce their domestic consumption. At the same time a shift in political attitudes opened up Argentina's borders and investors from the USA and Europe invested heavily in vineyard and winery projects. The results were a dramatic improvement in quality and the replanting of some traditional grape varieties with International ones, and the introduction of Argentinian wines onto the Inernational market. Argentinian grapes of note include Torontes for the white and Bonarda and Tannat for the red. They are best known for their excellent reds made from the Malbec grape, which ripens far better in the Argentinian climate than it ever could in it's native France. Argentina lies between the same lines of latitude as South Africa, South Australia and New Zealand and has a similar climate. Add to this glorious sunshine, the cooling effect of the vineyards at altitude in the foothills of the Andes and Argentina has the natural attributes to produce truly world class wines. Their image has suffered due to the mass produced cheap plonk featured in the supermarkets for the last few years. But be brave, take the plunge and try some of their top end wines. They are beautiful wines and represent superb value for money.
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Bodegas El Porvenir We are delighted to have discovered this superb multi award winning winery in our recent tastings. Bodegas El Porvenir de los Andes is a small, family owned and run winery which produces very limited quantities of stunning top quality wines. Their vineyards are located in the Cafayate Valley in the far north of Argentina, where the unique mesoclimate, combined with ideal soils, is suited to producing grapes of optimum quality. Add to this a state of the art winery and a commitment to excellence that only a small devoted producer can offer and the result is wines that can rival any in the world. As well as the superb wines below, they have two truly sensational new wines which aren't yet available in the Uk, so we are having them shipped from Argentina. Unfortunately this will take a few weeks. In the meantime I urge you to try the wines below - they are superb.El Porvenir Website
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Bodegas Patricio GouguenheimThe Gougenheim winery is located in the Valle Escondido near Mendoza, in the foothills of the Andes mountains. The grapes come from their vineyards in the Tupungato area at 3600 feet above sea level, receiving 320 days of sunshine a year. As winter arrives late, these are perfect conditions for ensuring the grapes fully ripen. Patricio Gouguenheim took the time to explain to me how he keeps his production costs to a minimum, using French oak staves as opposed to actual barrels, producing top quality wines at a very affordable price. Recent tastings of his latest wines have encouraged us to take on more of his range as they are so good. They'll be arriving shortly. In the meantime both this Malbec and their Cab Sauv are highly recommended. Gouguenheim Website
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Bodega NQN PatagoniaThis is a remarkable state of the art winery built into a hill at Neuquen, Patagonia, roughly in the centre of Argentina, on the western edge, in the foothills of the Andes bordering Chile. Their wines are excellent.NQN Website
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Bodega San HubertoWe have two new superb wines from Bodega San Huberto in the La Rioja region currently on their way from Argentina. They are San Huberto's 'Ultra Premium Range' called 'Nina'. They are fantastic, in particular their Petit Verdot, which has to be tasted to be believed and there's also a lovely blended wine. They also make a Cabernet Malbec but it's sold out and the next vintage won't be ready for release till late August. We are the only company importing these wines to the UK. They're due in a few weeks and we only have a limited quantity available so keep checking back to see when they've arrived - they're too goood to miss!
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