Washington, DC 

Back in the US for a brief pit stop before heading to Verona.

But right now, we’d like to pick your brain about something we came across in Argentina…

Have you ever had Torrontés? It’s not a common white wine here in America where tastes tend towards those oaked, yellow Chardonnays so buttery you could serve them on toast. Torrontés is crisp and clear, yet without the green apple tartness that characterizes so many dry American whites. Instead, Torrontés tends towards grapefruit and a hint of the floral.

Picture a desert landscape. Sandy. Sparse. Air so dry and thin it doesn’t retain warmth, which is why, despite the 80-degree weather, you wear long sleeves and a scarf as you ride along on horseback. 

Eventually, you make your way to an oasis where, under the shade of lone willow tree, a cluster of pale flowers bloom.

That’s Torrontés. A cool, crisp refreshing oasis in the arid desert of western Argentina.

Why the lesson in Torrontés? Well, before leaving Argentina, we found ourselves in conversation with a local lawyer from the Calchaqui Valley. He explained that one of his clients is sitting on a thousand or so liters of high elevation Torrontés, from a vineyard not far from our own.

The market for Torrontés is local (very few exports) – not great when the local economy is hitting 100% inflation. At some point, explained the lawyer, it’s cheaper to just open up the storage tanks and let this excellent wine drain onto the ground.

And the Torrontés from this region really is excellent. It has been described by Andre Rosberg, President of the International Sommelier Association, as “world class.”

That got us thinking… what if we bought up and bottled his supply for our Bonner Private Wine members…just in time for summer?

Imagine sitting out on your deck or front porch with your friends and breaking out a bottle of white wine made exclusively for you as a member…

Thoughts? Let us know at this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VYMB89B (not a sales pitch – just honestly want to know what you think).

Next week, we’ll be reporting to you from “fair Verona” with an update on our search for Italian wines...

Until then…please enjoy your weekly wine tasting with Julien. Simply click on the video and you’ll be taken to our website where you can watch it in full (as well as access your other content if you wish).

Bonner Private Wines