Sometimes there are meetings that shake you. Ones that produce that butterfly feeling in the stomach and leave a sense of Mona Lisa's wonderment fluttering on your lips. Ones that leave you as gidee as an eight year old over the first snowcone of summer and your imagination ever chasing the hope of next time. And so it was with me and Torrontes, the little acclaimed white grape from Argentina.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I felt virtually consumed by Argentina's Red Goliath, Malbec, and all my work in the winery centered on Mendoza's well known yummy red elixirs. It probably goes without saying then, that even before the first sip, I was wanting for something different, radical, pure rebel. All of a sudden, in walks Torrontes and out walks my heart.
It's every bit the head turner I was looking for amongst a sea of red. Torrontes is a regional grape from Argentina that is used to produce some amazing white wines. It has a deliciously powerful bouquet that promises spring flowers and the refreshment of summer's citrus. But it's the bitter note on the finish, right in the back of the throat, that captured me. I had the opportunity to taste Torrontes across quality ranges and it was present, to some degree, every time. It seems this bitter end is a characteristic unique to the varietal. At first, I was a little put off, frustrated it didn't finish every bit as floral and fluttery as the bouquet suggested. A slight edge was persistant though. A slight edge, that quickly became an endearing quality of Torrontes that will undoubtedly be missed as I say goodbye to Argentina for this season.
Newsflash, for those I haven't told already: I'm back in the US and planning to head to California in a few weeks to spend sometime in the wine regions out there. If all goes well, I'll be out there to work harvest in another winery. None of this was part of the original plan when I set sail on this little adventure, but through meeting amazing people and great conversations, I realize that experiencing California wine is a must-do. It was a difficult decision as I love Spanish and was just beginning to get comfortable with the culture, but in the end, here I am back in the States and far from Torrontes. Though there are a few brands of Torrontes being imported to the States, the vast majority and the good stuff, if you will, isn't for export yet. No, Torrontes is still a sleepy Argentine giant that won't realize it's strength for at least another five years.
You can be sure that our parting won't render this adventurous spirit helpless or pause however. There are plenty of wines to be pursued between now and the "arrival" of Torrontes. I go forward with a new spring in my step and sparkle in my eye for the discovery though, and the hope of next time.
Until we me again Torrontes.
Always yours,
Karen
p.s. If you are passing through Dallas, you will find me here with my fingers crossed for the Celtic's as they play the last two games of the Eastern Conference Finals and bike riding. I've decided to keep posting to the blog though, as this ship has in no way landed and it's a good excuse to practice my english. As always, you're free to come and go as you choose. Thank you again for all the support.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Real World Winery
It's done, my friends. Yesterday was the last day of Real World Winery. It was my last day working as a harvest intern at Elvira Calle Bodega in Mendoza, the wine capital of Argentina, bringing my first winemaking experience to conclusion. I've heard that some of you were under the wild impression that I was lazily passing my days in an Argentine hammock taking full advantage of the lengthy siesta rituals observed here. No, the past two months have been anything but a siesta, more like baptism by fire!
I took on this job as a harvest intern, partly because I've always wanted to work a grape harvest, but also because I've been tossing around the idea of working in the wine industry professionally, post my semi-sabbatical. Working a harvest and learning how this wine stuff is really produced seemed like a smart idea. Turns out it wasn't just smart, it was brilliant!!
It's a small bodega so I had the opportunity to do about everything. I spent time in the lab learning how to analyze the grape juice coming in for this year's vintage and the wine from past vintages. I also spent a great deal of time selecting and sorting through the various deliveries of grapes until ridiculous hours in the morning. It was in those wee hours that I did my most English teaching too. My fellow Argentine counterparts kept wanting me to remind them how to say "I like beer". To be honest, the thought of becoming a sworn beer connoisseur, in those cold deliriously exhausting hours starring down 100 boxes of grapes left to go was pure intelligence. There were plenty of bee stings to be had in two months and there was the typical dousing of wine, or wine blessing we like to call it, that anyone would expect in a winery. I ran up and downstairs, pulled pumps and hoses around, took readings and samples, cleaned out tanks and buckets, swept and washed floors, learned to roll up a mean water hose and squeegee uphill. The only chore of basic winery work I feel that may have gone unmastered is shoveling. Of the six of us on the production team, my shoveling was found lacking right up until the end. There seems to be some flip of the wrist that evades me, but luckily all my compatriots, Spanish and English alike, were gracious the entire way.
Amongst the all-star cast of characters on Real World Winery, there were 2 intern winemakers form California who turned out to be the best teachers on anything wine and California a gal could ask for. Both have transversed the globe working for different wineries and have excellent palettes from which to learn. Both also love to eat good food and talk about it........so when you’re out in rural Argentina, after a 12 hour work day, what else is there to do but mix up a mushroom risotto with prosciutto paired ever so elegantly with a bottle of Semillon, then sit around for several hours talking about it and various other sundry topics! I already look forward to our first reunion over a few pints of beer to recount our stories.
And so as Fall slowly tapers into the cold begins of Winter here in the South, harvest 2010 at Elvira Calle, aka: Real World Winery, comes to an end. With my first winemaking experience now under my belt, I’m wiser to the world, what I want from it, and I'm confidently looking forward with full anticipation...
I took on this job as a harvest intern, partly because I've always wanted to work a grape harvest, but also because I've been tossing around the idea of working in the wine industry professionally, post my semi-sabbatical. Working a harvest and learning how this wine stuff is really produced seemed like a smart idea. Turns out it wasn't just smart, it was brilliant!!
It's a small bodega so I had the opportunity to do about everything. I spent time in the lab learning how to analyze the grape juice coming in for this year's vintage and the wine from past vintages. I also spent a great deal of time selecting and sorting through the various deliveries of grapes until ridiculous hours in the morning. It was in those wee hours that I did my most English teaching too. My fellow Argentine counterparts kept wanting me to remind them how to say "I like beer". To be honest, the thought of becoming a sworn beer connoisseur, in those cold deliriously exhausting hours starring down 100 boxes of grapes left to go was pure intelligence. There were plenty of bee stings to be had in two months and there was the typical dousing of wine, or wine blessing we like to call it, that anyone would expect in a winery. I ran up and downstairs, pulled pumps and hoses around, took readings and samples, cleaned out tanks and buckets, swept and washed floors, learned to roll up a mean water hose and squeegee uphill. The only chore of basic winery work I feel that may have gone unmastered is shoveling. Of the six of us on the production team, my shoveling was found lacking right up until the end. There seems to be some flip of the wrist that evades me, but luckily all my compatriots, Spanish and English alike, were gracious the entire way.
Amongst the all-star cast of characters on Real World Winery, there were 2 intern winemakers form California who turned out to be the best teachers on anything wine and California a gal could ask for. Both have transversed the globe working for different wineries and have excellent palettes from which to learn. Both also love to eat good food and talk about it........so when you’re out in rural Argentina, after a 12 hour work day, what else is there to do but mix up a mushroom risotto with prosciutto paired ever so elegantly with a bottle of Semillon, then sit around for several hours talking about it and various other sundry topics! I already look forward to our first reunion over a few pints of beer to recount our stories.
And so as Fall slowly tapers into the cold begins of Winter here in the South, harvest 2010 at Elvira Calle, aka: Real World Winery, comes to an end. With my first winemaking experience now under my belt, I’m wiser to the world, what I want from it, and I'm confidently looking forward with full anticipation...
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