After the Malbec, the Bonarda grape variety is the second most grown stock in Argentina. Over 80% of its production focuses on the province of Mendoza, the main wine region in the country and one of the most important regions in the world. The origin of the Bonarda stock, which produces red wine, is Italian, although Argentina is currently its largest wine producing country in the world. In fact, the Bonarda has been the most grown stock in South America for the last decade. The Etruscan are believed to have planted the Bonarda in Italy 3,000 years ago. It is a stock with a long ripening period, hence, its wines are difficult to obtain. However, they have adapted well to the versatile Argentine climate. Wines elaborated from the Bonarda variety have a perfect acidity, medium intensity and are perfumed with red and black fruit aromas, but are not overwhelming at all. In general, they stand out because of their character and their good presence in mouth. Bonarda wines’ colour is characterised by an intense ruby colour with violet and purple tonalities. By means of The Real Argentina, Bodega Argento’s blog, discover the qualities that have turned the Bonarda grape variety into such an appreciated variety in the country. You can also find out which dishes are paired with which Bonarda wines. Not only pastas, pizzas and provolone cheese –all Italian products– combine very well with these wines, but also ‘empanadas’ (meat pies) –a typical product from Argentina– or even hamburgers –the last trend when pairing food and wine. Collaborators that write in the blog will inform you about the best shops and restaurants where you will be able to taste the delicious Bonarda wines.
Following on from our ‘Take 5’ Argentine sommelier focus, The Real Argentina invited five leading sommeliers from around the world to each champion an Argentine grape and its food pairing potential. Andrew Catchpole samples the suggestions.
The marriage of Malbec and meat may be as famous as Maradona, but ask five leading Argentine sommeliers to champion any grape and its food pairing potential, and the results give lie to the versatility of Argentina’s diverse wine styles.
This December, we are counting down our Twelve Wines of Christmas with a new wine every weekday from December 6th to 21st. Feel free to sing along! “On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…”
Juicy, brimming with fruit and generally packing a satisfying punch for your peso, Bonarda is emerging from the sideline as an easy-going alternative to Argentina’s flagship red Malbec. It’s perhaps no surprise. After all, the country is awash with the variety, this being the second most widely planted grape in the country.
Buenos Aires is awash with great places to sample a fantastic spread of Argentina’s wines. And while there is nothing quite like touring the far-flung vineyards of Mendoza and elsewhere to really get a sense of why the wines taste the way they do, back in the capital you can immerse yourself in a wealth of choice at a growing number of superb wine-focused bars and restaurants.
Question: how did Argentinian wine, so recently the object of pitying amusement from wine buffs, become profitable, fashionable and, more to the point, drinkable? Matt Chesterton talks to Ian Mount to find out.
If you’ve chosen to visit Buenos Aires, you probably enjoy a splash of vino colapso. But don’t let a tiny thing like not speaking Spanish affect your wine tasting in Argentina, as plenty of English-speaking sommeliers are based in BA. Here, three top sommeliers talk about my favourite subject, Argentinian wine
Argentina’s second most planted grape variety is a bit of a mystery. Bonarda, which may be the same as a Californian grape called Charbono, is believed to have slipped into the country during the 19th century, brought here by immigrants from northern Italy. In Piedmont, home of Barolo and Barbaresco, there are three different grapes of this name and no-one really knows which one travelled to the Argentine…