See what others are saying about Torrontes.

January 18, 2012 by lovewinewithme

I was absolutely blown away the first time I tasted Torrontés. It had a nose of tropical fruit and flowers, not too dissimilar to that of a Gewürztraminer; but with slashes of refreshing citrus. It was intense, crisp, and richly perfumed. My experience was all that and then some. I had not been this excited about an aromatic wine since I learned how to pronounce Viognier properly! So, if you’ve been thinking about making the plunge, but haven’t yet, here are three more reasons why you should: 1. Bang-for-buck: Torrontés is generally made in stainless steel tanks and is intended to be guzzled young in order to capitalize on its fresh fruit characters. Translation: it is inexpensive to produce meaning you can expect great value for money. 2. Impress your friends with a little wine trivia: At1683 metres above sea level (5522 ft.), Torrontés shines its brightest in the world’s highest wine producing region, Cafayate, Salta in the northern reaches of Argentina’s Andes mountain ranges. 3. It’s becoming trendy and winning awards: Torrontés based wines took two top accolades at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2011: International Trophy Dry Aromatic under 10£ and International Trophy  Dry Aromatic over 10£. In the same competition Torrontés won an additional eight awards, plus five more were commended. For those interested in developing their palates, I recommend tasting a Torrontés against aromatic wine varieties of a parallel character. Try varieties that contain the same (low) level of sweetness so that the sugar content does not interfere with the way you perceive the sweetness of the nose, the acid levels, or the texture of the wine. Recommended wine varieties for comparisons with Torrontés are: Riesling: Typically displays a green apple, lemon/lime, and floral nose, developing honey, toast and kerosene characters as it ages. While it consistently has high acidity, its sugar content can fall anywhere from bone dry to sticky sweet. It is also typified by its light body and low alcohol. Its homes are in Germany and the Alsace region of France, but there are great examples being produced in Austria, Australia’s Clare and Eden Valleys, Canada’s Niagara region, and New Zealand’s South Island. Gewürztraminer: Typically displays intense floral, tropical fruit and spice aromas. Rose and lychee scents are very common, along with notes of stone fruit, musk and ginger. It is generally dry to medium-sweet with low to medium acidity. This can give the impression of high alcohol and an unctuous texture. It is one of the few varieties permitted to be grown in Alsace and it is also produced extensively in Germany; that being said, many a cool climate wine regions are having success with this variety. Viognier: This medium to full body wine is known for its intense bouquet of dried apricot, flowers, stone fruit, and musky perfume. It generally has a high alcoholic content and a medium to full body. It is the most predominant white grape of the few produced in northern Rhone; however, curious oenologists world over are yielding good results. I am certain that once white wine lovers wrap their laughing gear around Torrontés, they won’t be able to put the bottle down. Get ready world! Torrontés is the next hot trend in summertime wines, and will soon join Malbec as being synonymous for great Argentinian wine!