Tim recently posted on his blog a list of 50 wines and said: “These are 50 of my favorite Argentine wines, shown at a tasting in London yesterday and selected from an extensive report to be published next month. I restricted myself to two wines per winery.”

This is the list of the 50 wines Atkin published:

Cold region whites

What is your overview on white wines tasted in Argentina?

“My view is that they are improving, though obviously not as good as the reds. The cool climate whites emerging from the Uco Valley such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and white blends are especially exciting.”

Regarding Torrontés he stressed that it is a very good variety that shows clear stylistic and regional differences. “The top wines are some of my favorite Argentine whites and a real calling card for Argentina in the international market”, he pointed out.

Argentina is more than Malbec

Though this has been declaimed for a while, most of the wines selected by international critics are Malbec.

Why is this so? Is it a matter of styles, tastes or has Argentina not been successful with other international red varieties, yet?

“My choices reflect my palate and my belief that red blends and Malbec are what Argentina does best. I was also very excited by the Cabernet Francs, one or two of the Cabernet Sauvignons and the Bonardas. For me, the disappointing category (at least for now) is Syrah.”

What is new?

We asked Tim, who had not been in Argentina for the last four years, if he had noticed something new or different.

“I have found greater elegance and a sense of place. Argentina is cutting back on oak and high alcohol, although there is still too much of both for me. That is why I loved the freshness and balance of the Passionate Wines Bonarda, and the move towards Cabernet Franc in the Uco Valley. Every wine style is improving in Argentina as winemakers develop greater self confidence and have more contact with the international market. I also believe that the best Argentine wines have not yet been made.”

Ready to talk about the terroir

Lastly, we wanted to know if he believed that Argentina is ready to move forward to an appellation system that differentiates between the diverse terroirs.

“Absolutely” he answered, “but I would be very wary of imposing an AOC system. It’s important to tell consumers about regional and sub regional differences, but do it slowly. Tell them that Uco and Luján de Cuyo are both in Mendoza and then move on from there. Argentina has terroir, but you need to dig more calicatas (pits) to really understand why the soils are different.”

Less alcohol?

Atkin, like so many of his compatriots, considers that Argentina should avoid “over-ripe” wines and high alcohol levels that result from this, which in his opinion is not a desirable characteristic. “It is a European perspective. Some US wine writers (and many consumers) love oak and high alcohol. Argentina is mostly a hot climate in which to grow grapes, so high alcohol comes with the territory, but I still believe that some producers should pick earlier to avoid what Australians call “dead fruit” characters in their wines. Full bodied is good, with the right variety, but over-ripe isn’t, at least for me. Balance is crucial. You can have a balanced wine at 15% alcohol, but it’s easier at 14% or lower, as long as the fruit and tannins are fully ripe.”

“Thanks to this decision, AWC will be able to concentrate all its efforts on developing the Argento brand at an international level and encourage the growth of the wine production team based in Mendoza and the commercial team that works mainly in London”, Bodega Esmeralda said after the separation from the brand that the winery had been producing for several years for the British wine merchant company, Bibendum Wine Ltd.

The brand’s representative in the UK stressed that since this change is related to production; there will not be major changes for the consumers.

Silvia Corti, who has been Argento’s winemaker for the last eight years and used to work at Esmeralda, is still in charge of the winemaking.

The tasting will be carried out on May 23, 3,50pm at Tierras del Plata, located in Calle Nueva (no numner), Chacras de Coria, Mendoza.

These are the wines that Argentina takes to the most important events in international markets, such as fairs and official tastings; and they will be enjoyed at this tasting that promises to gather 200 attendants.

The event is intended for the specialized press, national and international, buyers, sommeliers, people involved in the wine industry and general public.

Once finished the tasting, a cocktail will take in which the Trophy-winning wineries will bring to the table the wines that were awarded Gold medals at AWA 2012. These are: Trapiche, Catena Zapata, Alamos, Casa Montes, Doña Paula, Familia Bianchi, Finca Decero, Norton, Alta Vista, Fabre Montmayou, Nieto Senetiner, Val de Flores (Bodega Rolland), Salentein and Matías Riccitelli Mr. And Ms. with his novel wines.

The leading roles will be played by the winemakers who will talk about their wines and answer questions from the audience. Eleven winemakers have already confirmed attendance: David Bonomi (Doña Paula), Daniel Pi (Trapiche), Facundo Pereira (Bianchi), Alejandro Vigil (Catena Zapata), Rodolfo Vallebela (Bodegas Rolland), Pedro Pelegrina (Casa Montes), Roberto González (Nieto Senetiner) Matías Riccitelli (Fabre Montmayou), Jorge Riccitelli (Norton), Marcos Fernández (Finca Decero) and Matthieu Grassin (Alta Vista).

It is worth mentioning the participation and support of Club Vea Vinos with more than 30,000 members around the country and J.F. Hillebrand, the beverage logistic company, as exclusive sponsor of the event.

Moreover, within the framework of conferences hold by Sociedad Argentina del Vino, Goldstein was invited by Wines of Argentina as special guest to its Series of International Talks.

In this interview, he shared with WineSur his view on Argentine wines in the American market.

What do you think about low alcohol wines?

Wines of low alcohol of great maturity and structure can easily be made in Argentina based on the combination of high altitude, growing season and the ability of fruit to mature correctly. Wines here can be very ripe and alcohol can be much more moderate than in California, Australia or in other new world areas where they need to let grapes hang longer and become physically riper in order to achieve physiological ripeness.

Over the last few years, it seems there are more and more wines of higher alcohol being made, not just in Argentina but certainly all over the world. If a wine is balanced and the alcohol does not stand out that could be very good. Often times, however, you will find that wines of high alcohol are not always balanced in terms of their style and they are also a bit over concentrated, over extracted which makes them less appealing and potentially less capable of hold their balance. It is a challenge. I am not one of those people who say that high-alcohol wines are bad; to the contrary, I’ve had many high alcohol content wines that are delicious, extremely well-balanced and very well made.

Do you think wine consumers in the US prefer this type of wine?

Honestly, most American consumers tend to prefer the wines that are more generous; that have fuller body, more volume, greater concentration and subsequently higher alcohol. When you get to the most sophisticated consumer, it splits into two sides. There is one side that follows the fashion and sees that many high-alcohol wines get very good score and so they buy these wines as much because they like them but also to be perceived as being sophisticated and very cool. The other-side consumers prefer their wines with lower alcohol.

What is your opinion of the wines you have tasted these days in Argentina?

I’m a big supporter of Argentine wine. I think one of the great benefits is the country’s diversity. Although you are well-known for Malbec, I’m also very happy with the increasing quality you are able to make with Torrontes and Bonarda. I think they are unique. Needless to say, that you make some lovely Chardonnays, Pinot Grigios and Tempranillos. The second attribute of Argentine wines is the price-value relationship. You always get more for your dollar than what you paid for.

I think Malbec deserves to be mentioned separately. Aside from the fact that is simply a delicious style of wine, Malbec suits the modern day palate which looks for wines of rich color, deep concentration, beautiful fruit, extraordinary floral characters and tannin that are sweet and wild. Even within a varietal like Malbec you have incredible diversity. I’m a big fan of Argentina and always will be.

In your opinion, what should Argentina do to continue growing in the US market?

There are a number of things you should do. Number one is to continue doing what you are doing. Argentine wines are ‘en fuego’ at the moment, they are selling very well. Number two is not to become lazy or complacent. Number three is to play to your diversity. Don’t look at North America as purely a Malbec market; look for an opportunity for some of those other unique wines that I discussed earlier. You will find tremendous success immediately in smaller niche markets. Malbec blends have a wonderful opportunity because they are very good and they provide a bridge to talk about Malbec, which the variety that American are comfortable with, and at the same time talk about other grapes and open the door for them. The biggest single obstacle for producers is distribution, having an understanding of that is going to be very important.

Which are the wines that compete with Argentine wines in the US?

Americans drink a lot of California wine. It represents 9 out of 10 bottles of wine made and 7 bottles of every 10 sold in USA. So within that 33% market share left for imported wines, everybody is pretty much fighting for the same share of mouth. I would say that old world countries, Spain, Italy and France, fight with each other and Argentine wine compete with Chile, Australia and South Africa.  However, old world countries are putting out new world wines in terms of style and packaging.

Translation: Rocío Acosta

This way, Mónica Caamaño, marketing manager of the winery, talked to WineSur about the current panorama and explained how the group will start to manage Trivento’s brands.

“Trivento’s brands have great projections of growth, are the most import ones for “Concha y Toro”, primarily as they represent Argentina. The group is aware of the fact, also confirmed by numbers, that this country grows faster than Chile, and in this moment Argentina is “hot”“, she highlighted.

Moreover, the marketing manager added: “after this new restructuring, with these brands, we expect to boost sales, as there will be more people knowing the market and more professionals around the world selling wines from different origins.”

-Why did you decide to move the sales department to Chile?

The group’s decision was due to a strategy and has nothing to do with the human resources we had in the company, who we highly valued up to now. The staff we had in Argentina was as qualified as those working in Chile. In this sense, one of the sales employees was transferred to Chile.

The new sales strategy is based on developing more strongly the markets, restructuring all the sales areas of the group. From now on, “Concha y Toro” will count on two main teams, besides the subsidiaries in each country. One of the groups will be in charge of the southern region and the other one, the northern region. Each of these groups will have three managers, and each assistant manager will be responsible for some of the markets.

On this basis, every person and region will manage all the wineries and brands of the group, comprising Trivento, Quinta de Maipo (from Chile), and Fetzer Vineyard (from United States).

-Does this strategy include the fact of opening new distribution offices?

We are closing a deal with a distributor in Mexico, so as to have an office operating in that market. Apart from Mexico, the group is planning to have offices in each of the strategic markets, thus they will be probably opened this year in other points.

-Will communication and marketing areas continue operating in Argentina?

Yes, of course, and sales clearly will be a marketing department’s responsibility, helping from Argentina. Besides, as we moved the sales area to Chile, the marketing sector will grow and there are plans to employ more people to strengthen the strategies.

Translation: Carolina Lucesole

According to Area del Vino’s statistics based on data of the International Trade Center, Argentina exported to Brazil 74% more in terms of value (FOB dollars) between January and March of this year than in the same period of 2011: USD 11 million.

Lucas Lowi, Export Manager at Terrazas de los Andes (LVMH), thinks/maintains that the prospects for Argentina are positive. “In the face of Brazil’s policy of encouraging domestic industry, some terms may be probably modified damaging imported wines. Nevertheless, due to the fact that Argentina is part of Mercosur, we believe that it will not affect our country as much as it can affect our competitors such as Chile, Spain, and Italy,” he pointed out.

On the other hand, Brazil will strengthen the production of local sparkling wines. “It is this category in which there is a big opportunity for domestic production. Even if the government decides to protect still wines, imported products will still be consumed for their value for money,” he added.

Gustavo Arroyat, Export Manager at Finca Las Moras, also gave his opinion on the Brazilian market. Nowadays, the winery is working with a new importer and holds positive expectations about the price ranges of USD 20, USD 25, USD 40, USD 55-60 and USD 100 FOB the case.

“Argentina does have more pros than cons in Brazil. If the increase of duties to the other importers were to be confirmed, we will certainly gain considerable advantage,” he highlighted.

However, Arroyat showed some concerned and underlined “the other countries that are working with the Brazilian market will not stand with their arms crossed. Chile, specially, will come out to fight for its commercial interests.”

Finally, Finca Las Moras’ manager agreed on the fact that Argentina will not have an advantage over sparkling wines. “The Brazilian industry is really strong in this market segment and, historically, Argentina has had few chances,” he concluded.

Some difficulties

A few weeks ago the Brazilian government issued a statement that announced the beginning of a research for the implementation of “safeguard” measures to wine imports in order to look after its national industry.

It is believed that since Argentina is a member of Mercosur, it would not be affected by this measure that would indeed have an effect on Chile and European countries, especially¬ those who have had aggressive sales policies in this country.

When asked on the matter, the owner of the import company, Mistral (Catena Group, Ernesto Catena, Alto Las Hormigas, Agrícola Masi), Ciro Lilla said “in theory, duties increase would not include Argentine wines. However, I believe it will not be that easy and that, at some moment, this measure will affect Argentina, too”.

Translation: Rocío Acosta

The aim of the event was to pinpoint the emerging changes of the wine industry, as well as the core skills and competencies that professionals of the sector will need in the future. It gathered academic leaders from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, and Spain, who presented the realities of each country’s wine industry and their wine business education programs. Javier Merino, CEO of Área del Vino, participated in this intense cycle representing Argentina.

Among the conclusions, participants stressed the main changes in the consumption and distribution in the markets.

Per capita consumption in the traditional countries, such as France, Spain, and Italy, has drastically dropped, whereas Canada, United States, and China have experienced a growth. Argentina’s phenomenon is similar to traditional countries’, suffering a significant fall in consumption in the past few decades.

Onther of the general observations was that those countries focusing their business on exports, like Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Chile, have achieved an important expansion in hectares of planted vineyards and in the amount of wine produced.

Finally, it is worthy to highlight that in the last years, wineries’ direct-to-consumers sales and online sales have grown considerably.

Panel of owners and professionals of the wine industry

As part of the cycle of conferences, the event includes a panel of winery owners who took part in the discussions from their own experiences. This panel was comprised by Lynn Fritz from Lynmar Estate, Jeff O’Neill from Ram’s Gate, Peter Mondavi Jr. from Charles Krug, and Tom Klein from Rodney Strong. The topics posed were about the changes of focus, from products to sales, as well as on the increasing importance of the wine industry’s professional in the value chain of wine. Peter Mondavi underlined the importance that the knowledge of the market has today. Owners considered that it is crucial that vine-growers and winemakers think more systematically.  Tom Klein, from Rodney Strong added that it is fundamental for wine professionals to acquire integral knowledge about all aspects of the business.

The event also saved a space for professionals that perform executive activities in wineries. This panel includes Joel Miller, from Jackson Family Wines, Nancy Bailey from Gary Farrell Winery, Tom Blackwood from Boisset Family Estates, Abigail Smyth from Estates Heck, and Michael Holden from Wine Estates del Tesoro. Panelists emphasized the need to train the workforce of the future, to face the uncertainty, to develop business models and to explore the multifunctional cultural management.

After several debates…

After intense debates on different aspects correlating the wine industry with the education of professionals, some conclusions were reached, such as how to adapt the curriculums in the Universities to offer students subjects more valued by different wine companies. Other of the observations was the need of understanding new consumers’ behavior: how to understand the “Millennials” generation and how to teach students this aspect. Finally, the importance of make students get involved in the industry was also highlighted in the conference.

Translation: Carolina Lucesole

It is interesting, from my point of view, to know what people think about this event. Because when we organized the first edition approximately a year ago, I remembered that first conversation with Rodolfo Juárez, Anabel Caselles and Alejandro Vigil, “we are always communicating via twitter, so let’s meet and know each other”, that was more or less the idea. Afterwards, more and more people were joining the initiative, until becoming a mega event with wine tastings, gourmet dishes, musical shows, and the most important of all, a charity activity behind it. Once in the event, I took advantage of all the conversations to ask those present why they are there. Replies varied widely: some of them answered that they wanted to collaborate with the Food Bank of Mendoza; some others said that as the occasion was a social meeting of the sector “I could not miss it”; and others just because they wanted to experience a different activity. What did surprise me was the fact that only few of them had heard about the event via twitter. This year it was mainly spread by word of mouth.

Fortunately, in this opportunity, we worked with the Food Bank of Mendoza, because we counted on the entity’s staff and contacts. They worked hard with us to make the event shine. From the first time we talked with Sergio Gras (president of the Food Bank of Mendoza) the empathy was immediate. Besides, I personally think that the work this entity does is amazing.

An event of these dimensions only is possible thanks to the help of a lot of people and companies that promote it, offering their products, services and everything they have to give.

Wineries

Aleanna, Altos las Hormigas, Caligiore, Chandon, Crotta, Dante Robino, Diamandes, Dominio del Plata, Doña Paula, Etchart, Familia Schroeder, Familia Zuccardi, Flichman, Gimenez Riili, Margot, Monteviejo, Mumm, Nanni, Navarro Correas, Renacer, Salentein, Sin Fin, Sur de los Andes, The Vines, Trapiche, Trivento, Tupungato Winelands, Viniterra, Viña Cobos, and Zorzal Wines.

Food islands

Ceibo Restaurante, Dolcezza Helados Gourmet, Farrah Cocina de Autor, Graciela Hisa, Jesús Cahiza, La Marchigiana, Lucas Bustos, Marcos Zabaleta, María Teresa Barbera, Nadia Harón de Ortega, and Nicolás Bedorrou.

Artists on stage

Altertango, Banda del Vino, Daniel Vinderman, Martín Guerrero, Shimins, and Sparkling Big Band.

Companies participating in the event

Abraham Sonido, Area del Vino, Arrayanes, Assistir, Diario Uno, Dj Guerrero, EAS (Argentine Sommelier School), El Sol Online, Frigoríficos Aconcagua, Fundación Universitas, García Betancourt, Gerardo Palazzetti y Asociados, Jor-Dán Aguas, Laser Print, Mdz Online, My Design, Nh Hoteles, Seguros San Cristobal, Silvana Biagiotti Congresos y Eventos, and Tankitos.

To all of them, once again, MANY THANKS!!!

Translation: Carolina Lucesole

The report: “Emerging opportunities in the Chinese wine market” is the result of 3 months of studying the leaders of the Chinese wine industry, with the purpose of understanding the opportunities and potential risks that international brand owners run in such a big, complex, and rapidly developing market, like China.

One of the main conclusions is that the wine trade in China is preparing to a diversification of consumers’ preferences beyond the traditional Bordeaux exponents, which have been leading the market of imported wines in the past 3 years.

Moreover, there is an increasingly consensus on the fact that the key areas of the consumption growth in terms of volume during the next years will be the so-called Tier 2 cities, developing built-up areas outside  Beijing-Shanghai-Guangzhou, where the habit of drinking wine is being developed at a rapid pace.

In relation to style and preference trends, Chinese consumers will start to express somewhat more, and discover their own preferences, according to retailers’ opinion. This will entail a growth in consumption of reds displaying a soft and fruity style and a rise in white wine sales, especially in the south of the country, where whites pair better with seafood.

The study is based on interviews conducted between November 2011 and February 2012 with 21 leaders of Chinese wine trade, together with the extra research and reports presented by the Wine Intelligence team of China.

Jenny Li, Research Manager of Wine Intelligence, and main writer of the report, stated: “It is possible to say that we are going through the end of the first stage of the evolution of the wine market in China. As market is becoming increasingly more established, we will notice changes in consumers’ demands, from buying a wine as a gift, to buying it for being consumed at home.”

“In general, this is a positive step for the market, and will give consumers more reasons and occasions to buy this product. However, a complexity will emerge in the market, and the resources of retailers, distributors, and owners of brands will be analyzed equally.

Source: http://www.wineintelligence.com/reports-shop/products-page/emerging-opportunities-in-the-chinese-wine-market-report/

Translation: Carolina Lucesole

The crucial substance, present in vegetables and food, especially in the grape of red wine, is resveratrol.

Researchers of the Harvard University Medical School maintained that Resveratrol extends life expectancy and good health as it increases the energy in the mitochondria, the “engine” of cells.

“This finding, according to scientists of Cell Metabolism magazine, may lead in the future to new potential treatments to attack the aging effects, “informed the BBC’s news portal today.

Previous studies have already shown that resveratrol –a polyphenol compound- acts as an antioxidant avoiding the damages caused in the DNA by molecules called free radicals.

This cellular damage has been correlated with the development of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

In this last study, Professor David Sinclair and his team stated that they found how resveratrol acts in cells and protects the organism.

Sirtuins

During the past decade, the team of researchers has been conducting different studies on various organisms: from yeasts, worms, flies to mice.

Studies on the three first organisms, explained researchers, revealed that resveratrol managed to increase the energy production and the overall health of cells, activating a type of genes called sirtuins, which are fundamental to the good function of mitochondria.

It has been demonstrated that the good operation of this cellular “engine” is essential to both a long life and general health.

Better vascular function

Animals with normal SIRT1 that received resveratrol showed signs of “a significant increase of energy level”, highlighted the authors.

Besides, they added that these animals had a better vascular and metabolic function, a reduction in the inflammation and, in general, cells managed to use more efficiently the energy.

Another long debate on resveratrol is that previous studies had disclosed that this compound acts differently depending on its dosis.

In the new research, Professor Sinclair seems to have solved this problem. As it was expected, scientists found that mice heavily dosed with resveratrol presented toxic and bad effects.

Source: BBC

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2012/05/120502_resveratrol_vino_tinto_longevidad_men.shtml

Translation: Carolina Lucesole