Only the Good Notes

Tag Archives: Torrontes

Decatur Wine Festival

Yesterday we attended the Decatur Wine Festival. It was held on the square in downtown Decatur and was a sold out event. The weather was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! Not a cloud in the sky, and a high of about 60 degrees.

We spent about 2 1/2 hours there tasting various wines and champagnes, and a little bit of food. From there we walked down the street to Ted’s Montana Grill for an early dinner as we were famished.

I pieced together this video in Picasa and unfortunately the audio doesn’t quite match up to the video. You will still be able to get a feel for the event, though.

We were both surprised by how many wines we DIDN’T like…following are the wines we tried yesterday that we liked a lot:

  • Nine Walks Sauvingion Blanc (T)
  • Gnarly Head Authentic Red (S)
  • Ferrari Carano Chardonnay (S)
  • Valdo Prosecco (T)
  • Chocolate Shop Dark Chocolate Wine (T)
  • Amalaya Red (T)
  • Charles de Fere Blanc de Blancs (T)
  • Barefoot Bubbly Extra Dry (S)
  • Alamos Torrontes (T)
  • Alamos Chardonnay (S)
  • MacMurray Sonoma Coast Chardonnay (T+S)
  • Pine Ridge Chenin/Viognier (T+S)

Alamos Torrontes

My fav from the festival!

Last weekend, as I mentioned in an earlier post, Stephanie + I had the pleasure to attend the 2011 Atlanta Food + Wine Festival.

While there, we had the opportunity to taste several different wines and sparkling wines.

To be honest, they were all enjoyable wines. But, my favorite was the 2010 Alamos Torrontes.

It was crisp and very refreshing, and one that I will look for in local wine shops…

Enjoy!

[Here are the wine notes from the Alamos website:]

This Alamos wine comes from high-altitude vineyards in the Salta wine region of northwestern Argentina. The wine represents the highest levels in the art of blending, using grapes from many distinct microclimates. Alamos wines are blended to create flavorful, drinkable wines that preserve each variety`s distinctive flavors, aromas and textures.

Wine Description:
Torrontés is the unique, fragant white wine of Argentina, cultivated there since the day of the Conquistadors. Alamos Torrontés captures all of the aromatic characteristics of this Argentine grape, with lively notes of citrus and peach fruit interwoven with delicate layers of jasmine blossom and fresh herbs. The wine is light and fresh on the palate with excellent balance, finishing with bright, crisp acidity.

Harvest Notes:
Grapes for the this wine came from the vineyards in the high valleys of Cafayate in the Salta region 500 miles north of Mendoza. The winter of 2008 was the coldest in 40 years, and the vineyards got off to a late start. The rest of the season was warm and dry – a long period of very sunny days that drove development of great flavors, and very cold nights that let the vines rest and reach full maturity. Since an early frost had thinned the crop, the result was wine of great intensity and full flavors. The grapes were harvested on March 1, 2008.

Winemaking Notes:
The wine was cold fermented at a temperature of only 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Oak aging was avoided, to preserve the fresh, delicate flavors of the wine.

APPELATION:
Cafayate, Argentina

VARIETAL:
100% Torrontés