What are South American “Native” Grapes? These days, everyone knows and loves Malbec from Argentina. In fact it is so widely identified with Argentina that it is easy to forget that it is not a “native grape” of South America but originally from France. Side by side, the two are very different, with the one from Argentina typically much more accessible and full of fruit as well as easier to find and affordable. Less well known but equally at home and flourishing in Argentina is Bonarda, originally from Savoy. A third grape that is making a name for itself in Argentina is Torrontes, a white wine grape with a convoluted history, but the one that actually is the most “native” as its heritage is the Criollas group of grape varieties which refers to American-born versions of the European grapevine. 

While Torrontes is typically enjoyed young, I had a bottle from 2018 which we found to be quite good. For Bonarda, we opened a blend that also had Malbec and Syrah that had also aged well. Our third wine is an organic Malbec in a nouveau style from 2022.  Scroll down to see what others in the World Wine Travel group opened to explore the theme of South American “Native” Grapes. 

So what to pair with three very different wines? We know that chimichurri works so well with South American wines, so Sue suggested we try pork street style tacos because there are some similarities. Success! 

Menu

• Carnitas Pork Street Tacos 
  pork shoulder seasoned than pressure cooked, shredded and finished off in a pan with more seasonings 

3 Wines that Sing Argentina

• 2018 Amalaya “Esperanza por Un Milagro” Torrontes, Salta, Argentina
• 2022 Domaine Bousquet “Gaia Nouveau Malbec” Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina
• 2016 Trivento “Amador Sur” Mendoza, Argentina 

2018 Amalaya “Esperanza por Un Milagro” Salta, Argentina

ABV: 12.5%
SRP: text
Grapes: Torontos
Importer: The Hess Collection

Appearance:  Lemon, pale lemon, golden lemon, clear and bright, the wine leaves a very pretty residue  when finished in the glass. 

Aroma: Flippin amazing, it is so interesting, Citrus, kefir lime, exotic florals, grass, meadow, chamomile, tropical fruit, guava, loquat, fresh green herbs, lemongrass, 

Palate: Tart lemon, tartness at the tip of the tongue, toast, lemongrass, zippy without being overly acidic, cilantro, pollen, bee’s wax, 

Pairing: Absolutely heavenly with the caramelization and the spices in the carnitas; the wine loves the cilantro in the street tacos while responding to the exotic spices in the taco meat. 

 

2022 Domaine Bousquet Gaia “Malbec Nouveau,” Gualtallary, Argentina

ABV: 14.5%
SRP: $20
Grapes: Organic Malbec
Importer: Origins Organic

This beautiful label glows in the dark!! This wine uses carbonic maceration for the win!

Appearance:  Plum, fuchsia rim, medium density, a bit cloudy. 

Aroma: So floral with plums and cherries, a bouquet of flowers, blue fruit, super ripe plum and florals, black pepper, fresh roses, cinnamon.

Palate: Rich fruit starting with the red fruits then a bit of blue fruit and then the cinnamon, the carbonic maceration gives the wine a lovely texture. 

Pairing: We thought this would be a great Thanksgiving wine. The carnitas had the essence of mole without having the richness of a mole. Very nice with the taco loving the baking spice essence in the carnitas. 

2016 Trivento “Amador Sur” Mendoza, Argentina

ABV: 13%
SRP: 
Grapes: 70% Malbec, 20 Bonarda (aka Carbon), 10% Syrah

Wow, so nice with some age!

Appearance:  Very dark and dense, cloudy, garnet with a mauve rim

Aroma: After it has been breathing for a while and been swirled in the glass it has a fantastic aroma, Sandalwood, blue fruit, plum, ripe plums ripe blueberries, church spices, cedar, florals fruit and woodsy notes, makes you want to dive right into the glass, very masculine

Palate: Completo, very complete, it is not heavy yet not light, there is gravity to it with out weighing you down. Such nice bright fruit with very smooth tannins, orange oil, plum, blue fruit, plum hooks tobacco, smooth operator, 

Pairing: So great with the tacos loving the cilantro and spices in the meat, the ripe tomatoes. What a perfect wine for the carnitas street tacos. 

Check out these explorations on the theme of “South American “Native” Grapes”:

• “Blue Cheese Sauce to put on that Steak you are Grilling Up to Pair with a Malbec Wine” from Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• “3 Wines That Sing Argentina Paired with Pork Tacos’ from Gwendolyn at Wine Predator
• “A Taste of Argentina: Chupín de Mariscos + a 2022 Torrontés from the Salta Region” from Camilla at Culinary Cam
• “Argentinian Malbec: An immigrant who gets the job done” from Linda at My Full Wine Glass
• “Criolla, Bonarda, and the San Francisco Empanada” from Deanna at Wineivore