Why you should ask your wine merchant about Argentinian wine

Having been a wine importer for many years, I can confidently say that South American wine, particularly that from Argentina, stands alongside the best in the world.

The dry, sunny, desert climate enjoyed by much of Argentina plays a huge part in ensuring the overall quality of Argentinian wine. The combination of favourable soil and plenty of sunshine results in very ripe grapes with a high sugar content. In turn, the high sugar content of these grapes produces relatively high alcohol content when they are turned into wine. People are often put off by wines with a high alcohol content, but in the case of Argentinian wine, this is simply due to the amount of sugar in the ripe grapes. Cool nights also ensure good refreshing acidity, vital in giving the wine longevity and balance.

Although Argentinian red wines have good levels of tannin, these tannins do not taste harsh in the way that you may experience in a wine made from less ripe grapes. As such, Argentinian wines are generally very approachable, very drinkable, and not harsh even when young. Famously, Argentinian wines, particularly Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, go very well with red meat.

Undoubtedly the biggest advantage of Argentinian wine over wines from other exporters, however, is that, these days, you can pretty much guarantee that virtually all Argentinian wines produced for export will be very well made and of a high quality (something that can’t be said for many other wine producing countries).

Today, Argentinian wines compete across the board. Whilst cheaper wines normally represent outstanding value for money, the more expensive Argentinian wines are up there with the best in the world. Put simply, you are unlikely to get a bad wine from Argentina.