Bodega La Azul
After many puzzled looks from enologists, sommeliers, and random acquaintances, a friend finally vocalized the question we had been reading on faces since arriving in Latin America earlier that year, “Why are you interested in artisan wines?”
This caught me by surprise as my experience, apparently not the norm in South America, is that wine is often best when produced by a small number of loving hands rather than on an industrial scale. Some of my favorite artisan wineries, such as Flaherty Wines produce wines with a depth and complexity that showcase artisan wine-making at its best.
Our Argentine friend explained to us that artisan products have often been perceived as inferior in Latin America, more likely to be cheaply made, defective, or of lower quality. Artisan wines were what you bought if you couldn’t afford high-quality wines produced by more sophisticated wineries, definitely not what we were seeking.
However, perceptions are slowly changing. In both Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, a handful of wineries have been receiving international recognition, which has started to change the perception of “artisan” wines within Latin America. One winery of note in Argentina is one of J’s all-time favorites: Bodega La Azul, in Mendoza’s well-esteemed Uco Valley. We visited this winery on a tour, and the experience was a deciding factor in our decision to spend half of the year in Malbec-soaked Mendoza.
There are many international winemakers leaving their mark on Uco Valley and receiving much critical acclaim. La Azul is a bit smaller than most, growing and vinifying only Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, and their product line consists of two young wines and two reserve blends. We first became familiar with La Azul in February, 2010, and were impressed. At that time, we were drinking the 2004 Reserva, which continued to knock our socks off through the end of the year. This wine, an interesting, complex Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend, was a great value in Mendoza for less than $15/bottle in 2010; and still tempting in the US at $24/bottle. La Azul also produces interesting un-oaked single varietals for less than $10; their Malbec is worth trying.
Enjoy a glass of wine from an artisan winemaker, and please share your feedback if you have an opportunity to sample any of the wines we’re so excited about. What are some of your favorite artisan wineries in Argentina, Chile, or Uruguay?
