Harvest: Time for Celebration

March is a very exciting time in Mendoza. Last week, harvest officially kicked off with one of the biggest festivals in Argentina, the Fiesta de la Vendemia. This grape-themed festival includes a blessing of the fruit, several parades, fireworks and the crowning of the Vendemia Queen, who happens to be from San Carlos, home to our winery and vineyard! The grand finale, pictured below, includes traditional folk dancing and music galore.

After the harvest festival, Argentines carry the party spirit forward through harvest, making time after work to be with friends and family at backyard Asados, and of course to share wine.

At our vineyard in Uco Valley, we have begun harvesting grapes for the 2019 vintage! It has been an incredibly dry growing season with extreme variability in temperature. Mendoza's weather can be crazy, and in March there were many days of 100 degree temps in the day and 40 degree temperatures at night! This worked out great for our grapes, as they love hot days to ripen in, but need the cool nights to rest and grow in complexity. 

This week, we got out before sunrise to pick grapes by hand that are still cool from the night. We started by picking our Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Torrontés, are now moving to Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and last but not least our Malbec grapes will be picked by mid to late April. We have been blessed with beautiful fruit which will become beautiful wine in the next few months. 

Spotlight on: 2016 Malbec Premium

We just can't get enough of this juicy, luscious Malbec! And good news: we have more on the way! This week at the the winery, we loaded up a shipping container of wine which is currently passing over the Andes, destined for the long journey through the Atlantic. James Suckling awarded the 2016 Malbec Premium with 91 points, describing it as having "fresh red fruits . . . round and juicy tannins and a beautiful, clear finish." Head to your wine shop, or click here to purchase online!

Meet the Famiglia: Pacifico Meschini

The year that Pacifico Meschini was born, his father Primo was just starting up the Meschini Dolcetto Winery. Pacifico saw first-hand how to care for vineyards, press grapes and age wine. When Primo passed away, Pacifico took over the family business and continued to make excellent wines to share with family and friends. When Pacifico became a father himself, he made sure his sons were part of the love and hard work that went into Meschini Dolcetto. A decade after Pacifico's passing, the brothers came together to create Famiglia Meschini in honor of their father and to carry on the family tradition of crafting excellent wines. Pacifico was full of heart and exuberance. We hope that our Pacifico Gran Reserva we make on exceptional years in his honor exhibits the same strength and fortitude as Pacifico himself.

For more information on our wines, please visit our website: 
www.FamigliaMeschini.com