- guardian.co.uk, Sunday January 27 2002 11.49 GMT
- The Observer, Sunday January 27 2002
'Always look on the bright side of life,' sang a freshly crucified Eric Idle in The Life of Brian. Winemakers in Argentina are doing their best to emulate him after a House of Windsor-style annus horribilis. When the 1998 vintage was all but washed away by El Niño, they probably thought things could only get better. But in 2001 they got a whole lot worse.
Rioting, political instability and a bankrupt economy are not exactly a boon for winemakers. The crisis has had a bigger impact in Buenos Aires than in the wine areas close to the country's Andean border with Chile, but it's still been a tough few months. Domestic consumption is in freefall and prospective foreign investors are fleeing the country faster than you can say: 'When's the next flight to Santiago de Chile?' To cap it all, guess who chose to hold a generic tasting in London on 11 September?
So where is the silver lining in this all-enveloping cloud? José Alberto Zuccardi, owner of La Agricola, says the devaluation of the peso will make Argentine wines more competitive abroad. The government (a loose term at the moment) is keen to encourage exports, and wine is seen as a potential big earner. As the world's fifth-biggest producer, Argentina has huge volumes of vino to sell, so expect to see some very good deals over the coming months as desperate wineries start to dump stock.
Whether this will improve Argentina's market share, stuck at 1.3 per cent, is a moot point. I have to admit that Argentina's relative failure - it sells less wine in the UK than Portugal - is a mystery to me. Five years ago, I thought it was the Next Big Thing.
If it ever sorts its economy out, it still could be. Argentina has a unique range of grape varieties, a hot, normally reliable climate and plenty of competitively priced wines. It's also blessed with a vibrant popular culture: tango, gauchos, football and the best barbecues in the world. Dan Jago of Bibendum, whose Argento brand is the biggest selling Argentine wine in the UK, says that, to succeed, Argentina needs to 'sell consumers the lifestyle the way the Aussies have done, to reassure people that this is a good place to buy wine'.
Is it? There are certainly a handful of very switched-on producers in Argentina, led by Catena, La Agricola, Jacques and François Lurton, Norton, Etchart, Fabre Montmayou and, at the lower end of the market, the La Riojana co-operative. But there's also a fair bit of dross.
Of the major New World producers, Argentina is arguably the least reliable. On the other hand, it's worth remembering that producers are only just beginning to tailor their wines to European palates. Until recently, they sold virtually everything they could make at home, some of it under wonderfully old-fashioned names like Aberdeen Angus and Pont l'Evêque.
Argentina needs a break. The best and most painless way to support it is to buy a few bottles of wine. If enough of us do, 2002 might be the year Argentina takes off in the UK. For their sake, I just hope the Argentinians don't knock England out of the World Cup on penalties.
Best cellars
Five Argentian wines that won't break the bank.
Tesco Argentinian Red (£2.99). A blend of Bonarda and Barbera, produced at the La Rioja co-operative by Aussie Nick Butler. This is an exceptional wine at the price, with fresh strawberry and cherry fruit flavours and a nip of tannin for backbone.
2001 Caballo de Plata Torrontés (£3.49, Safeway). Same source, different grape variety. This is a very drinkable example of this abundantly aromatic variety, with spicy, grapey fruit intensity, refreshing acidity and a hint of vanilla oak character.
2001 Santa Julia Viognier, La Agricola (from £4.99, Sainsbury's; Tesco; Unwins; Wine Rack; Bottoms Up). A very creditable stab at a difficult grape, this is rich and peachy with real Viognier character. A lushly textured wine with plenty of alcohol and good length on the palate. A wine for Condrieu drinkers on their uppers.
2000 Norton Merlot (£5.99, Oddbins) A youthful, unoaked, appealingly scented Merlot from one of the top names in Mendoza. This is very elegant for Argentina, and none the worse for that, showing sweet plum and raspberry fruit and fine, medium-weight tannins.
1999 Catena Malbec, Lunlunta Vineyards (£9.99, Oddbins; Bibendum, 020 7449 4130). If Malbec is to be Argentina's USP, it will be thanks to wines like this dense, smoky, gamey, cherry and plum-like red with its rich, meaty tannins and super palate length. A £15 wine with a £9.99 price tag.
