Fans of viognier and gewurztraminer will be pleased to discover another flower-scented white wine making an appearance in wine stores: the torrontes grape, an ancient aromatic variety that has been nearly forgotten in Europe, but is finding new life in the New World. Argentina, where this uncommon grape is widely planted, produces delightful wines like $13.00 Alta Vista Premium Torrontes, with overtly floral aromas and flavors, reminiscent of roses and honeysuckle.

White wines from warm arid zones like Argentina’s high-altitude Mendoza region were once a tough sell. Excessive heat in the wineries affected both fermentation and aging, yielding tired, flabby wines that tasted flat or oxidized. But the rapid spread of temperature control technology in the last few decades has changed the region’s white wine landscape dramatically.
This torrontes from Alta Vista is full-bodied, a natural for rich foods and sauces. Its intense peach and mimosa aromatics are a natural with highly seasoned foods. Try it with Tom Ka Gai, Thailand’s coconut-chicken soup, or with Gambas al Ajillo, classic Spanish garlic shrimp.

Image, altavistawines.com

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 14th, 2008 at 6:00 am and is filed under What to Drink, Wine & Spirits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted by Marnie Old on 2/14/08 in What to Drink, Wine & Spirits