Last October I had the opportunity to head over to Mendoza in Argentina to attend a wine fair and see a bit of the region. I jumped at the chance so embarked on a fairly long, but incredibly picturesque journey to Mendoza via Sao Paolo and Santiago. The flight from Santiago to Mendoza is around an hour, literally going up and over the Andes and I spent the whole time with my nose pressed to the window. 

The trip was part of Vinexposium’s ‘Vinexpo Explorer’ series they have started, where they take wine buyers who have interest/demand for certain products to the region to understand it better and have B2B meetings with the producers. 

We had a packed itinerary of meetings and tastings with producers in the format of a Mendoza-focused wine fair, with a few producer visits and dinners in the evening. 

Mendoza is a stunning place, located in the foothills of the Andes it is responsible for ~75% of Argentina’s wine production.  The scenery speaks for itself, and so do the wines. Famed for the bold and concentrated Malbec’s that many see as synonymous with the country, the region also offers a whole host of other wines which benefit from the semi-continental climate of warm sunny days and cool evenings, meaning an excellent balance of concentration and freshness. Cabernet Franc in particular seems to be the grape that the winemakers in Mendoza are particularly excited about at the moment, as it is gaining traction for being a grape that excels in their terroir. 

Over the course of the three days at the wine fair, I had meetings with over 60 producers and there was one that stood out in particular to me and that I was very excited to share with the team once home.  

Bodega Vina Alta are a family run winery, currently run by mother and son duo Valentina Iudica and Emiliano Rico. The winery was founded in 1965 by Valentina’s parents - Don Miguel Iudica and his wife Susanna Genesoni Varaschin who came from a long line of wine producers.  

They have around 100 hectares of their own vineyards which are located in San Martin and Maipu and grow Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Bonarda, Syrah, Tempranillo, Criolla, Pedro Gimenez, Ancellota, Moscatel de Alejandría and Chardonnay. 

We are bringing in a selection of wines from two of their ranges, Casual and Essencial. The wines all share a distinctive elegance which is a testament to the careful winemaking and influence of the terroir. Even evident in the heavier wines such as Malbec, it was this combined with their passion and creativity that really caught my attention at the wine fair.  

It was also great to try wines which aren’t ‘just’ Malbec; their Criolla for example is a personal highlight. Criolla Grande is a variety that you really don’t find too often, the grapes when ripe are pink-skinned and were traditionally just included in field blends but are starting to have a moment as a wine in their own right, especially as the vines are well suited to drought conditions, something that is increasingly important in a changing and challenging climate. The Vina Alta Criolla straddles the categories of ‘foodie rose’ and ‘light red’, it really could work well as either; a pale ruby colour with notes of wild strawberries, ripe red cherries and a round mouthfeel from micro-vinification in old French oak barrels, all underpinned by their classic fresh acidity. It is incredibly moreish! 

 Another highlight for me is their orange wine ‘Naranjo’, this wine is a Pedro Gimenez, but it’s not what you might think. Pedro Gimenez here is not the same as the famous Pedro Ximenez from Spain, it is in fact a completely separate grape variety which was given the name by Spanish settlers who mis-identified it, believing it to be the same grape. With this example of Pedro Gimenez, it has been made as an orange wine with 40 days on the skins, gentle pressing, unfined and minimal SO2 additions to preserve the natural character and textural complexity of the wine. The result is an amber coloured wine with notes of dried apricots, orange peel, chamomile and quince with a savoury note to the finish.  

I finished off my whistle-stop tour of Mendoza with a quick trip to visit our existing producers, Finca Sophenia, who kindly accommodated me last minute. They are nestled in the foothills of the Andes in a breathtaking location. The wines were delicious as per usual, and it was great to see the winery and vineyards in person. 

My journey home was just as picturesue as the way out, although perhaps hampered ever so slightly by my decision to go and experience some of Mendoza’s nightlife with the other buyers on the trip, possibly not the wisest call before a 30+hr journey home!  

By Megan Clarke, Head Wine Buyer