Arturo Guillermo Arias, President, Finca Sierras Azules, and Marcela Nunez, Translator
Recently, I was invited by the producers of the San Juan Province in Argentina to try the wines of approximately 20 of their producers. The event, which was hosted by the Federal Investment Council of the Argentine Government (CFI) and held at the Intercontinental Hotel, focused on wines produced in the second largest region for wine production in South America. The mountainous region is known for fertile ground and diverse soils.
It struck me that every winemaker I had the chance to converse with talked about the terroir doing most of the work due to its diversity, how the wines expressed nature and how the wines are priced to gain visibility and acceptance in the U.S. market. The producers who attended were currently not imported to Dallas – hence the purpose of the tour. I didn’t get to try the wines of every attendee, but I was really impressed by the quality of those that I did try. I’ll highlight some of my favorites.
- Bodegas Borbore, 2011 Aya Malbec and 2014 Martin Fierro Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc blend
- Consorcio ABA S.A., 2014 Bodega y Vinedos Hagmann Bonarda
- Finca del Enlace, 2012 Tracia Honores Malbec and 2011 Tracia Honores Blend
- Finca Sierras Azules, 2013 Expresion Blend, which is hand-picked by women due to their meticulous approach. Insert girl power here – and the winery was nice enough to give me a bottle to share in the future.
- La Guarda, 2012 El Guardado Malbec and 2013 El Guardado Blend
- San Juan Juice and Wine S.R.L., 2012 Malbec “7 Vinas,” 2012 Torrontes “7 Vinas,” 2012 Ancellota “7 Vinas”
Very hopeful that these wines will find the distribution channels they need in Dallas so you can taste them too. Otherwise, this large group of wine lovers will need to share the one bottle of Finca Sierras Azules and that would never be enough once you’ve tried it.
