Vinography by Alder Yarrow
Book Review: Vino Argentino by Laura Catena
February 17, 2011 - by ayarrow
Argentine wine is an interesting subject for a book at this point in time. The wine industry in Argentina is currently witnessing a renovation and redefinition, with many wineries focusing on the potential for exportation. This burgeoning fine wine industry has caught the eyes of many throughout the international world of [...]
Read More Comments »Vinography Images: Mendoza Sunset
November 11, 2010 - by ayarrow
We had a sunset just like this tonight in San Francisco. OK, maybe without the Andes. But just as impressive. Of course, I wish that I had been in Mendoza, instead, where Matt took this picture. I’ve been thinking about Argentina all afternoon after receiving an e-mail from a friend [...]
Read More Comments »Wines of Argentina Tasting: October 19, 21, Los Angeles and New York
October 5, 2010 - by ayarrow
One of the most important and valuable trends for the wine consumer, apart from the fantastic deals to be had on very nice wine these days, continues to be the proliferation of public wine tasting events put on by specific countries or regions of the world. The marketing associations for [...]
Read More Comments »2008 Clos de la Siete Red Wine, Mendoza, Argentina
August 30, 2010 - by ayarrow
Fifty miles south of the city of Mendoza the valley of Tunuyan feels less like a valley and more like a vast, kneeling supplicant to the immediate, looming bulk of the Northern Andes mountains. Though the valley floor is massive — sweeping away from the jagged, snow capped peaks in every [...]
Read More Comments »Where Malbec Comes From: Tasting the Wines of Cahors
July 20, 2010 - by ayarrow
One of my greatest pleasures as a wine lover (OK wine geek) is learning about a wine region by tasting a lot of wines. While I prefer to taste on location, there’s just no way I can possibly get to all the different places I’d like to learn about until I [...]
Read More 3 Comments »2003 Adagio “Premium” Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
April 15, 2010 - by ayarrowEvery time Spring rolls around, I find myself thinking wistfully of Argentina. I spent a wonderful three weeks there a few years ago just after the harvest eating, drinking, and generally appreciating everything about the country. Now, especially as our family budget gets tighter, I reminisce about amazing dinners [...]
Read More Comments »Wine and Architecture
March 22, 2010 - by ayarrowWine and architecture have a long history together. If architecture is frozen music, then wine is liquid weather. Each transmutes something into a whole greater than the sum of its parts. But beyond this metaphorical kinship, wine has often inspired (and funded) the creation of grand architecture. And vice versa.
From the [...]
Alder Yarrow
Location: United States
About the blog: I review wines, restaurants, and write about the wine world and wine related issues. Vinography began on January 15th, 2004 as a personal project for founder and editor Alder Yarrow. The site is now a respected source for non-mainstream wine writing, and one of the most influential wine blogs on the Internet. Featuring wine and sake reviews, restaurant reviews, editorials, book reviews, wine news, and wine event coverage, Vinography publishes new content daily to a global readership. The site's contributors work hard to create an alternative to the traditional sources and styles of wine journalism, partially through its emphasis on the stories, the people, and the passion behind wine, all told from a decidedly down-to-earth perspective. Vinography is strongly committed to maintaining our objectivity as a source for wine criticism and commentary, and our intelligent community of civil and respectful wine lovers. We do not and never will accept advertising from wineries, winegrowers, or wine production companies, and as a rule we do not permit commercial plugs for products, services, or other web properties in comments by readers.
Brief view of Argentinian wines: I think Argentinean wines have increasingly good visibility for consumers in the US. Low to mid-priced malbecs have started to become popular, and well known as alternatives to the favorite Cabernet Sauvignon for many people. It think it is quite remarkable, and perhaps quite unique in the wine world, that Argentina has defined (for the U.S. market in particular) what Malbec tastes like. What I mean by this is that Burgundy defines what Pinot Noir is, the Loire defines Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux, Cabernet. All old world origins. But even though Malbec has its origins in Bordeaux and Cahors, the international standard is now Argentina. This is a major accomplishment.
