Bonarda wine, ANUVA wine tasting
I had the pleasure of attending my first Argentine wine tasting here in the lovely barrio of Palermo with ANUVA Wines.
Not only does ANUVA provide hard to get local wines, delivery to your U.S.A. front door, but their service was exceptional- booking, tasting, followup, ALL FLAWLESS. What a nice change for BA…
The tasting consisted of five Argentine wines each paired with a picada. The warm host, Sarah, made it a very comfortable setting for those of us who aren’t very wine savvy. We began with Hom, a sparkling that’s a blend of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc which was accompanied a crispy apple & roquefort canape. Fresh and light, YUM. I am quite the hater of Chardonnay but this sparkling was delightful. From there we moved on to local favorite, Torrontes, also known as the ‘liar’s grape’ due to its sweet aromatics and dry crisp taste. I’m a big fan of serving Torrontes for fancy dinner parties as it’s a diverse white pairing perfectly with smoked meats, spicy foods, seafood, and desserts. Here it was served with two fruit sorbets, an appropriate match for the intensely humid afternoon.
On to the reds- Malbec, Bonarda, & a Caluna blend along with a plate of cured meats, cheeses, dark chocolate, and a rockin’ beef empanada. The San Gimignano Malbec Roble was packed with plum, pepper, and wooden notes. This could easily be my go to dinner wine every night of the week. Then came the Mairena Bonarda, a wine I had never heard of and is now my obsession. Aged 6 months in French Oak this complex wine has been put in the corner due to the country’s fascination of Malbecs. Hopefully Bonarda will get some more attention, as you can only find it in specialty wine stores at unfriendly prices. Next up was a Canula blend- 48% Malbec, 42% Cab, 10% Merlot also aged in French Oak. I’m a BIG fan of Cabernet but for some reason this vino and I didn’t click. I think it’s because I was so hooked on the Bonarda….
All in all, fabulous tasting- unknown wines, REFILLS, and a very gracious host. Visitors can have their favorites shipped home and locals can walk out with purchased bottles ready to continue the night.
Seriously, Bonarda I hope we meet again soon. I haven’t stopped thinking of you…
