I was lucky enough to be invited by an organisation called Wines of Argentina to visit the country and see for myself the wineries (“bodegas”), meet the winemakers and taste copious amounts of wine – a tough job, as you can imagine.

My five excellent companions and I flew out to Buenos Aires on 21st September, Argentina’s official first day of Spring, where we began the most incredible week of visiting countless bodegas, wine tasting, gourmet dining (who said they only eat beef in Argentina?) and sightseeing.

After some rapid sightseeing and wine tasting around the city and barely catching our breath, a day later we flew south to the city of Neuquén in the northern part of Patagonia in order to visit some wineries near the city and in the Rio Negro province. Until now, this area was best known for its fruit production of apples and pears. In the last decade, however, a number of wineries have sprung up, thanks in part to large investment from the government, and some with the most amazing 21st century architecture.

We visited a good range, from giants such as Bodega del Fin del Mundo (“Winery From The End of the World”), who are responsible for 50% (10 million bottles) of all Patagonian wine produced, to the 104-year-old Bodega Humberto Canale in Rio Negro, where we were treated to the national dish “asado”. This is the Argentinian equivalent of the barbecue, a variety of meats that are cooked on a grill called a “parrilla” or open fire, and what all families gather together for on a Sunday afternoon. An overriding memory that will remain with me forever will be the simple joy of standing in glorious sunshine, holding a delicious “empañada” (the Argentinian equivalent to our Cornish pasty) in one hand and a glass of fresh, juicy Malbec in the other!

An overnight bus – first class and fairly comfortable, but the journey marred somewhat by extremely loud snoring from a portly gentleman passenger – took us to the city of Mendoza, the capital of the Mendoza province. Here we had a glimpse in to how “the other half” live, by staying at the fabulous five-star Hotel Diplomatico. For someone who only ever has a black coffee for breakfast, my alarm clock was deliberately set half an hour early each morning so I could indulge in the magnificent extravaganza of a breakfast that this hotel offered. However, tempting though it was, I (reluctantly!) felt I had to draw the line when offered a “Mimosa” (sparkling wine and freshly squeezed orange juice) at 8am in the morning.

Mendoza, with its backdrop of the magnificent and snow-capped Andes mountains, is the heartland of Argentinian winemaking. We spent the next few days visiting a variety of wineries, from the 127-year-old Bodega Escorihuela in the city itself, where we were made to wear hairnets in the warehouse (really?), to various others located in Lujan de Cuyo and the stunning Uco Valley in the foothills of the Andes.

What really struck me was the wonderful relationship between the Argentinian winemakers themselves. We had so many delicious meals at various restaurants, often within the wineries, where winemakers from neighbouring bodegas would come and join in, showcase their wines, and catch up with their friends and neighbours, swapping tips and gossip. Our delightful host Marcelo Marasco at Bodega Séptima explained that as a lot of the industry is still in its infancy, there is no competition or secrecy, just a willingness to support and help one another, which is very refreshing.

So many bodegas offered us such wonderful hospitality that to list them all here would make this article twice as long. Suffice to say that our guides, particularly Sofía and Leo, and the representatives from each and every winery, made us feel so welcome that I think we will all return at some point.

An important impression made though is that, economic problems aside, the Argentinian wine industry will go from strength to strength. And the next big thing after Malbec? According to the majority of winemakers, possibly Cabernet Franc (look out for Pulenta Estate’s Gran Cabernet Franc 2008 – a superb example) and other Bordeaux varietals. Interestingly, although Bonarda is beginning to feature more heavily as a single varietal and there are some excellent examples out there, it was not considered to be a serious contender for the “next big thing”.

All in all, a wonderful and memorable trip. “Hasta la proxima vez!” (Until the next time!)

Our final video tasting Chilean wine…

Buy this wine HERE

You can buy this wine HERE

For the WEB exclusive special offer please click HERE

Full Price £8.99

You can buy this wine HERE

Around about this time of year Ardbeg launch a brand new whisky that is with us for a short while and then disappears into the abyss of time. They’re getting pretty good at building up momentum, releasing snippets of information and getting a bit of secret chatter going.

Well this year to celebrate their partnership with the International Space Station and various experiments that are going they’ve named this years release Galileo. It’s an 11 year old whisky distilled in 1999 which has had what they refer to as the ‘heart’ of the malt matured in Marsala casks. That’s a sweet fortified wine from Sicily so expect some richness and sweetness from the cask, but they balance that with using Bourbon casks for the remainder giving citrus, coconut and more savoury notes which prevents the richness and sweetness from overwhelming the malt.

Overall it’s Ardbeg with a finish on it, and these guys know what they’re doing. Our stock is due in this week and at the moment we still have a few bottles left available to sell. Price is £69.99

ORDER HERE

What is the big deal with these En Rama sherries then? Well firstly they are produced in small quantities, so they don’t last very long, and secondly they are terrific and don’t cost the earth.

En Rama are sherries that are bottled when the layer of ‘Flor’ which gives Fino and Manzanilla its distinctive flavour, is at its thickest and so the influence and the flavour is as great as it can be. They are then bottled without filtering or fining – so there may be tiny bits of flor in the bottle. But the benefit far outweighs this – you see when you fine and filter a wine you also remove some of the character of it, and in a delicate light sherry keeping character is a good thing but the drawback is that the wine won’t last so long (mind you in my house it doesn’t last very long anyway!).

At less than £14 each, what your getting here is something that ought to transport you to Jerez or Sanlucar to a darkened bodega where the cellar master draws a sample from the barrel and allows you to taste it filling your senses with everything that is good about Fino and Manzanilla. As well as being a perfect aperatif, these are far too good to be overlooked in favour of more famous wines and in fact goes really well with cured meats, olives, almonds – you get the drift. Create a simple starter, with great ingredients and serve chilled.

Tio Pepe Fino En Rama is £13.99 a bottle
Order HERE

La Gitana Manzanilla En Rama is £13.49 a bottle
Order HERE

Next on our whistle stop tour of wineries featured at our South African Variety Show (did I mention that it only costs £5 per person to come!) is Bouchard Finlayson.

Peter Finlayson comes from a South African winemaking dynasty and was himself the winemaker at stellar estate Hamilton Russell, where he helped to build their reputation for making some of the Cape’s finest Chardonnay (which is also one of the New Worlds finest) and the standout Pinot Noir.

Peter branched out on his own in 1989, initially working with Paul Bouchard of the Beaune house Bouchard Pere et Fils (which given Peter’s outstanding work with Burgundian varieties makes perfect sense), however the estate is now owned by the Tollman family who give Peter the freedom that few winemakers can enjoy and enables him to concentrate on crafting premium wines made in relatively small volumes.

Situated next door to Hamilton Russell, the estate is cooled by its close proximity to the ocean, in Hemel en Arde and today enjoys a reputation close to that of Hamilton Russell for the exquisite nature of its wines and particularly the flagship Galpin Peak Pinot Noir.

It should be noted that the tasting notes were compiled at the end of a long day of tasting.

Blanc de Mer 2010
A blend of 40% Riesling, 33% Viognier, 13% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Chenin Blanc, 3% Chardonnay.
Bright fresh and aromatic, with really good length. Lovely pear and ripe melon flavours and some tropical notes. Ever so drinkable and always popular at tastings.

Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Fresh, bright and with great texture. Aromatic, crisp and fresh. Delightful.

Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2010
12% Semillon is added whilst there is a small degree of French oak used.
Pure stylish and fresh, lovely weight and mouthfeel, good minerality and typical Sauvignon aromas.

Galpin Peak 2009
Lovely broad fruited, grippy texture and not too austere or tight. Lots of lovely warm, sweet spice, and red berry fruits. Juicy.

Hannibal 2008
50% Sangiovese, 22% Pinot Noir, 13% Nebbiolo, 7% Mourvedre, 6% Barbera, 2% Shiraz.
Really grippy tannins, lovely mouthfeel. Terrific acidity and freshness. Lovely uplifted aromas of fresh red fruits.

Sans Barrique Chardonnay 2010
Mouthfeel is terrific, lovely layers of minerality and ripe fruit flavours.

Croccodiles Lair / Kaaimansgat Chardonnay 2009
8 months in French Oak
Lovely texture, terrific fruit and oak interaction – really well done and so polished too. Vastly long with real concentration and intensity but subtle too and complex. Love it.

Kaamansgat Limited Edition 2009
Barrel fermented (60%) blended with 40% unwooded, non malo wine.
Tight and closed at present – clearly has class but needs a year to open up a bit. I think I prefer the previous wine for drinking tonight but this to drink next year. Slightly more subtle oak influence, and lovely striking freshness.

Missionvale Chardonnay 2009
7 months in 30% new French oak.
Very fine indeed. Rich and exotic, tight and sensuous – this is Meursault to the previous wines Puligny and is utterly delicious. We’re tasting this at the variety show – and are so pleased to be doing so – put it on your to do list!