Your Wine

Ten years ago, you'd have been hard pressed to find a decent Argentinean wine on the shelves of any wine shop, let alone a selection of them. Fortunately, times have changed.

Better quality and a larger selection of Argentinean wines are being imported than ever before, and consumers are becoming seduced by the flavors found in the wines from this intriguing wine producing region. Thanks to the innovation of winemakers and importers, we have some great options, and the Malbec grape and the Catena family are leading the way. But the story is a long one, and involves the ingredients of a classic drama- family and economic struggle, hard work and finally, success.

The media has also helped the trend towards Argentinean wine - and more specifically, Malbec- with the news of health benefits linked to resveratrol, an organic compound found in the skins and seeds of red grapes. Malbec reportedly contains higher than average doses of this natural substance, which has been found to moderate blood sugar levels and even cholesterol in mice. More studies are in progress to attempt to verify this data.

Whether or not Malbec can moderate cholesterol and diabetes, consumers are checking out this deep, dark red wine, originally grown in areas of France, including Bordeaux. The Malbec grape is also known as Auxerrois in the French Alsace and Cahors regions, and in Bordeaux it is alternatively known as Côt or Pressac.

Early pioneers from France introduced Malbec to Argentina in the mid-1800s, and their legacy continues. Some of the first families to grow and vinify grapes in the area are still at it, including the Catena family and their excellent wines.

Nicola Catena sailed from Italy to Argentina in 1898 and suspected that Malbec would take off in the Mendoza region. Against the advice of many nay-sayers, Catena planted his first Malbec vineyard in 1902. His son Domingo furthered the dream, and under his management, Catena became one of the largest

vineyard holders in Mendoza. The

family continued to make wine and distribute it primarily on the local level.

In the 1960s, the Catena family struggled with the very challenging economy of Argentina. One year Domingo realized that it would cost more to harvest the grapes than to leave them on the vine and not bottle that year. He turned to his son for advice. Nicolas, a 22-year-old recent PhD graduate of economics, advised him not to harvest. Domingo made the difficult decision to harvest anyway, showing his true passion and dedication, and took a loss that year.

Nicolas took over the family's winery shortly afterwards, and concentrated on expanding their distribution in Argentina. As an academic, he was attracted to the global market, and became a visiting professor at UCBerkeley in the 1980s. There, the winemakers who were suddenly rivaling France in the quality of their wines inspired him.

He returned to Mendoza and sold the family's bulk wine production - the table wines. Told by many that he was crazy, Nicolas focused his efforts on finding the best places for his vineyards. He chose to plant Chardonnay and Malbec in an area known as Gualtallary, at almost 5,000 feet elevation, again to the shock of other locals. Catena realized that making great wine involved some risk taking. He strived to get to the quality of the other international wines he admired.

His own vineyard manager had told him that Malbec would never ripen there, but it did, and beautifully. Nicolás found that Mendoza was exceptional for vine growing, with each high altitude valley providing the ideal climate for a specific varietal. He found that the poor soils near the Andes, discarded by the original European immigrants due to their low fertility, were actually ideal for quality viticulture. The desert climate was an asset because it allowed him to control quality and hang time through strict irrigation control.

The Catena legacy lives on, as Nicolas's daughter Laura is now at his right hand, assisting with all vineyard aspects. Bodegas Catena Zapata (Zapata being his mother's maiden name) now produces several 'levels' of wine, from the excellent 'everyday' price-points of the Alamos line, to the upper level wines labeled 'Alta.'

Catena and other vinegrowers in Argentina are experiencing a renaissance, and their Malbec is leading the way. Appealing to consumers for its rich flavors of dark berries with some earthy and sometimes slightly smoky tones, its medium to full bodied texture, and its ability to pair with many different foods, the Argentinean Malbec continues its seduction.

Add to this the possibility that drinking Malbec is good for your health (as some say 'as long as you don't swim in it'), and it is easily understood why the choices of great Malbec have grown. With quality and value this appealing, it looks like Argentinean Malbec is not merely a trend, but is

here to make a lasting impression. I

Leslie-Ann Sheppard is the owner of The Cellar, a wine and cheese shop on Surfside Road.