We’ve been working hard getting all the extra cases from our American Collection out to the door this past week. Because of that, we’ll keep it to just a couple notes before passing things onto Julien, who is now back from vacation.
First, we’ve heard that Argentina’s Salta province (home to the Calchaquí) is back in lockdown once more. No word yet as to what this will mean as the grape growing season gets underway just a couple months from now.
Second, we had some exciting test results delivered to headquarters this week. We had previously estimated that extreme altitude malbecs contain levels of resveratrol – the longevity promoting polyphenol – at up to ten times the levels found in other wines. This past week, our suspicions were largely confirmed. Sunal Ilógico, made with grapes from Luracatao (8,950 ft), tested at 10x resveratrol levels of a common supermarket red wine from California. Tacana Reserva tested at 7x. Both were significantly lower in sugar as well. More on these findings in a later missive.
For right now, do you read the back label before you buy? You should. This week, resident expert Julien revisits pesticides… Are they in your wine? (Short answer: yes)... Why wine is still “cleaner” than fruit juice… Sorting out the various environmental certifications… And what to look for in your wine shop…