The wine definitely over-delivers for the price and… paired nicely with my Kofte sandwich of charbroiled minced lamb, and beef!

This month our Wine Pairing Weekend (#WinePW) group of food and wine writers are taking a virtual trip to Argentina!

I have a soft spot in my heart for Argentinian wines.  That’s because when we first started  our wine journey my wife and I drank quite a bit of Argentinian wine.  That’s because when you don’t know what you like,  you don’t want to spend a lot of money to find out.  Plus, at the time, we subscribed to Wine Spectator and the wines of Argentina were frequently listed among the best values.

As our palates evolved we sought our different types of wines from Argentina, but typically one still gets a lot of bang for the buck with Argentinian wines.

Following are some  key facts generally true about Argentina and its’ wines presented by our host Jeff Burrows of FoodWineclick:

• Majority of vineyards are located in the foothills of the Andes mountains. These factors contribute much to the character of the wines.
• Because of the rain shadow from the mountains, the vineyards receive very little water and require irrigation. However, the dry climate means organic viticulture can be economically accomplished. The low humidity also means disease pressure is low so copper use in the vineyards is generally not needed.
• As the vineyards are in the foothills of the Andes, they are at unusually high altitude, allowing grape growing closer to the equator than in much of the world
• Labor costs are generally low, so hand harvesting is still economical
• In a bid for international customers, the wines have typically been produced in an international style: fully ripe grapes, modern winemaking and generous oak aging.

Disclosure: This wine was provided to me as a media sample. I received no compensation for this post, and all opinions presented are my own.

The Wine

The Amado Sur name,  a riff on the Spanish for “Southern Love,” alludes to the affinity between Malbec and the growing conditions in Mendoza, a region with an affinity for  producing quality Malbec. Thanks to the inclusion of smaller amounts of Bonarda (a.k.a Charbono – which, I think,  lends some rusticity and acidity to this wine) and Syrah, this is a distinctly South American blend. Trivento was one of the first Argentine wineries to experiment with a Malbec-based blend.  That other producers followed  suit with Malbec blends of their own is a testament to the success of Amado Sur.

This wine is a blend of 70% Malbec, 20% Bonarda, and 10% Syrah from the Mendoza region of Argentina.  The grapes were hand harvested in April, then were cold macerated prior to separate varietal fermentation in stainless steel tanks.  The separate wines are aged for 8 months in French oak barrels. After assemblage, the wine is aged for 6 months in stainless steel and then further aged in bottle for 5 months prior to release.

My tasting notes follow:

Color – Opaque violet with clear rim
Aromas – Black and blue fruit, ,smoke, vanilla, and a hint of mint.
Body – Medium-bodied, and dry  with zesty acidity and a subtle savory character  with velvety tannins
Taste – Black currant, black cherry, blackberry, vanilla,  baking spice and hint of blueberry
Finish – Medium

88pts|13% abv| SRP- $15; Available nationwide

The Food Pairing

While I’m a fan of “what grows together, goes together”when it comes to pairing food and wine, I also like to mix it up and try cross-cultural pairing.  Since I’ve been craving Middle Eastern food, I opted to take out at local restaurant.

I chose a Kofte (  ground lamb, and beef seasoned with onion, herbs, and spices) sandwich because I know Malbec has an affinity for meats, and because Kofte isn’t spicy hot (as in pepper), but rather is very nicely spiced.

The wine definitely over-delivers for the price, and is  a wonderful weeknight option.  It paired nicely with my Kofte sandwich of charbroiled minced lamb, and beef!

Check out what my fellow food and wine writers discovered when they paired Argentinian wines with food!

• Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen presents”Easy Thai Basil Chicken + Torrontes”
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “A Taste of Argentina”
• Jill from L’Occasion presents “All The Range: Not Just Malbec From Argentina“
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “Carbonada Criolla + Zuccardi Q 2013 Tempranillo”
• David at Cooking Chat presents “Roasted Chimichurri Steak and Wines from Argentina”
• Cindy at Grape Experiences shares “Wine and Dine with Bodega Trivento Winemaker German di Cesare”
• Sarah at Curious Cuisiniere presents “Ñoqui con Tuco (Potato Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce) paired with Argentinian Wine”
• Michelle at Rockin Red Blog shares “Exploring Argentinian Wine with the Zuccardi Family”
• Jane at Always Ravenous presents “How to Pair Vegetarian Food with Argentine Wines”
• Jennifer at Vino Travels shares “Argentina Wines with Familia Zuccardi”
• Kat at Bacchus Travel and Tours presents “Exploring Argentina: Warm Wines for Cold Nights”
• Nicole at Somms Table shares “Catena Lunlunta Malbec and Steak with Chimichurri for Two“
• Nancy at Pull That Cork presents “Domaine Bousquet Reserve Wines & Savory Tray Bake“
• Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog shares “A Cross Cultural Food And Wine Pairing with Amado Sur”
• Rupal at Syrah Queen presents “Wines of Zuccardi – Malbec and Beyond”
• Steve at Steven’s Wine and Food Blog shares “Argentine Torrontes and Romesco Sauce”
• Gwen at Wine Predator shares “Go Organic in 2019 With Argentina’s Domaine Bousquet and Santa Julia“
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! presents “Party Guaranteed: Pulled Pork and Argentine Wine”
  

If you’re up early enough be sure to join our chat about the wines of Argentina.  We love visitors and our chats are fun and educational.  Just follow the #WinePW hashtag on Twitter at 8a PT/11a ET on Saturday January 12th.

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