Quake Rocks Chilean Wines-Argentina OK

by Frank Mangio
On Saturday February 27, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Chile leaving 800 dead and wiping out 125 million liters or 12.5% of Chile’s respected wine industry (mostly cabernet) with estimates of a 250 million dollar loss. Most of the 288,000 acres affected were up and down the wine making corridor between the capital of Santiago in the north to near the epicenter at Concepcion, Chile’s 2nd largest city, in the south. Damage was extensive to the infrastructure of the vineyards and wineries leaving “millions of liters” of barreled wine on the floor as the country prepared for the new harvest.

By some miracle of nature, the actual grape vines had not been affected and picking and de-stemming is moving forward as the 5th largest importer of wine in the world gets back to making great reds at value prices, according to the Chilean Association of Wineries.

“Work has been re-established and bottle lines are in generally good condition,” said Rene Marino, President of the organization. Meanwhile Argentina, separated from Chile by the Andes Mountains, escaped the shock.
Chile’s leading winery, Casa Lapostolle is shown de-stemming its Merlot harvest after the country’s devastating earthquake of February 27th

Jim Barrasso, the affable owner of Firefly Grill and Wine Bar in Encinitas and a firm believer in the Chilean-Argentinian wine story, was set to fly into Santiago Chile, then on to Argentina, for the vineyard tour of a lifetime. 24 hours before the earthquake struck I shook his hand and wished him the best on his trip and requested a story on his travels, never dreaming of what was to happen.

“We found out about it when we got the call that all flights were cancelled into Chile. Scheduling was adjusted so that we were able to get into Santiago’s airport 10 days later. It was still heavily damaged and operating out of tents,” he recalled. A connector flight to Argentina was set up a day later and they were finally in the biggest producer of wine in South America and the maker of the now-famous Malbec wines.

“I always wanted to go there and had to scramble to get winery visits adjusted for private tours and tastings,” he told me. “The winemakers and owners were even more hospitable after the ordeal of the earthquake. We tasted lots of Malbec, the most popular wine in Argentina’s biggest wine district, Mendoza.

Jim Barrasso of Firefly in Encinitas, with Denise Cerelli, tastes Argentina Wines at Catena Zapata with winemaker Celeste Pesce, shown on the right.

The altitude averages 5 to 7,000 feet, which makes Malbec thrive,” he pointed out. He named Catena Zapata as one of his favorites, with its widespread, highly focused source vineyards and over a century of family experience. I recently tasted the 2006 Catena Cabernet and found it to be an aromatic, taste-filled berry and spice red, right up there with the premium cabs of Chile. You can learn more about Catena by accessing www.catenawines.com. For the latest on Chile’s recovery, access www.winesofchile.org.

California Wine Festival comes to Dana Point

This Doheny State Beach located wine festival, planned for Saturday April 24 from 1 to 4pm is a hybrid to the celebrated California Wine Festival in Santa Barbara that will happen Thursday July 15 through Saturday July 17th. The Dana Point event also has Thursday and Friday parts to it. A Taste the Future with sustainable seafood and wine tasting happens on Thursday evening April 22 at the Ritz-Carlton Resort Hotel; and a Rare and Reserve Tasting is Friday evening April 23 with elegant food pairings at the Dana Point Yacht Club. Both are from 6:30 to 9pm. Saturday’s Doheny Beachside Wine Festival features unlimited tasting of fine wine and foods plus regional craft brews. The event is on a grassy area with lots of shade.

You can combine events and get entrance privileges for discount pricing or order an “All Gold VIP Pass” so you don’t miss anything. Call for full details at 800-595-4849 or check it out at www.californiawinefestival.com.

Wine Bytes
The Zinfandel Associates and Producers ( ZAP) has a Zin Tasting event at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach Sun. Apr. 18 from 4 to 7pm. Some 40 wineries, many from Sonoma and Paso Robles, will be pouring. A culinary competition will offer samples for all guests. Tickets are $49. ea. and can be obtained at www.zinfandel.org or call 530-274-4900.

R&R Wine Marketing presents a Spring Portfolio Tasting Mon. Apr. 19 from 6 to 8pm at Loungesix on the Hotel Solamar Rooftop Terrace, downtown San Diego. Meet winemakers and owners, taste current release wines and sample Hors d’oeuvres. $20. entrance fee. RSVP at 619-221-8024.

Bordeaux style Lucas & Lewellen wines are the featured star wines at a special dinner at Thee Bungalow in Pt. Loma Wed. Apr. 12 at 6:30pm. Owner Louis Lucas will be there. 5 course meal and wines for $59.95. Reservations 619-224-2884.

Lewis Cellars wines are spotlighted in a special wine dinner at Amaya in the Grand Del Mar Resort Fri. Apr. 23 from 5:30 to 10pm. Dennis Bell from Lewis will present the wines. Amaya chef Camron Woods has prepared an eventful 4 course menu to match the wines. $70. pp. Call 858-314-1988 for an RSVP.

Malbec: From Bit Player to Star

by Frank Mangio

The Malbec grape reminds me of a young Clint Eastwood when the actor tried to break into Hollywood as an action star but got lost in the crowded field of cinematic romantic male stars of the era. Instead of struggling for his place in the tinsel-town sun, he went to Italy where an American leading man could stand out and be counted, and made a series of “spaghetti westerns.” He became the movie star he always wanted to be by leaving his home and making his mark elsewhere.

Here’s the link between Eastwood and Malbec. This luscious grape is from Bordeaux , France . There it was just a bit player in a cast of heavyweights like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc and many more. Winemakers who chose to develop vineyards in the new world of Argentina’s only productive appellation of Mendoza, were on the look-out for something that would put them on the map, and it was this minor French player, Malbec. The grape loves the higher attitudes of the nearby Andes.

Most vineyards are at 2,500 feet and above, with January temperatures at 75 degrees (due to opposite seasons.) This condition unlocks the extraordinary flavor.

The explosion of Malbec in the U.S. can be compared to the fast ascension of Merlot in the 90’s. Argentina is now the 4th largest importer of wines to America by volume, just behind Italy , France and Australia , rising 800% since 2000. This is a $10. to $20. bottle of wine… a bargain!

Nicolas Catena and daughter Laura produce Catena Wines, considered a top Malbec in Mendoza, Argentina.

The 2006 Catena Zapata Malbec is a product of the Catena family of Mendoza, a richly endowed region in Argentina , best suited for Malbec.

Very little rain falls on their vineyards, but when it does, it is close to the critical harvest from January to April. The soil is alluvial, or highly mineralized. The high temperatures at this altitude make for softer tannins. High alcohol is an issue for the Catenas, so they ferment their wines in outside, open tanks so that the morning air forces out and dilutes the alcohol content down to the desired14%.

“We are dedicated to unlocking the secrets of our land,” said Nicolas Catena, the present owner. His forefather, Nicola Catena, sailed from Italy to Argentina in 1898, to find the promised land in Mendoza . He planted his first Malbec in 1902, believing that this bit player French blending grape could thrive in the new world environment. Nicolas, a chemist and University of California graduate, with experience in the Napa Valley, took control of the vineyards in the 1980’s and turned the operation from bulk producer to fine wines, concentrating on Malbec and Chardonnay. He explained that “the only way we would make a leap in quality would be by pushing the limits of vine cultivation and taking risks.” Nicolas and daughter Laura have unlocked a Malbec that stands tall with the Andes and the Tango, as Argentina ’s gift to the world.

What to Do with Boring Wine

I never purposely look for a mediocre tasting wine, but as you and I know, they are out there and in the most unlikely wines. You can always buy a jug wine or “Two-Buck-You-Know-What” and know that it’s going to be just-picked grapes fermented in high alcohol. But at times, a wine that has the pedigree, turns out wrong.

The next time this happens to you, don’t dump it into the sink, use it to flavor food. We all know that for years, a kitchen cook could buy what was (and still is) known as “cooking wine,” a terrible brew of the worst grapes known to man. Resolve never to buy any of that again, but instead, keep that red or white wine that disappointed when you opened it, and use it to transform fish, pastas, soups, lamb, even desserts, into a wonderfully savory dish.

I have been observing an increasing number of restaurants using a wine ingredient as a sauce to raise the level of flavor in their creations, to the point where they are “calling out” what types of wine are added to the entrees. That is a true wine-food pairing. Add wine to taste in your next dinner and your creative juices will really flow.

Wine Bytes

§ Vino 100 in San Marcos presents Zinfandels from Around the World on Fri. Oct. 9 from 5 to 9pm . Cost is $15. pp. Details by calling 760-591-9113.

§ WineSellar and Brasserie in San Diego ’s Sorrento Valley is planning a Family-Style Italian Wine Tasting and Lunch Sat. Oct. 10 from 11:30 to 2pm . Lots of value wines are being released from Italy , so try six here for $18. plus $12.50 for optional lunch. Call 858-450-9557 for more.

§ The Prado Restaurant in Balboa Park San Diego, hosts the 10th annual Food & Wine Harvest Celebration Thurs. Oct. 15 from 5 to 9pm . Cooking demos from area chefs, local winemakers with tastings, rustic cheeses, chocolate and champagne as well as live music. Cost is $59.95 ea. Call 619-557-9441 x 203 for tickets.

§ San Diego State University College of Extended Studies offers Wine Making Behind the Scenes Sat. Oct. 17, 9 to 4:30pm at South Coast Winery Resort & Spa in Temecula. Learn the insights and secrets of making wines in the winery. Operational processes will be taught. Class fee is $195. For details, call 619-594-6924, or e mail rbeard@mail.sdsu.edu.

§ Paso Robles Wine Country celebrates its Harvest Wine Weekend Fri. Oct. 16 thru Sun. Oct. 18. Crush and harvest activities, grape stomping and barrel tasting from more than 130 wineries throughout Paso. For more information, visit www.pasowine.com.