A s the “wintery mix” started coming down Tuesday night, Teri and I had a decision to make. What wine would go with the icy wintery mix, or the snow it would become later?
This is not a small decision because you want a wine that is smooth sipping and warming as it goes down. I got cold just looking at that stuff coming down. And we wanted something that would match the vegetable beef soup we were having for dinner.
I picked the Amado Sur Red blend even though it is touted as a good wine for grilling. And it would be a good wine when cooking on the backyard grill, but it’s even better when the grill is covered by a couple of inches of snow.
This Malbec blend warmed us down to our toes as we sipped it while cooking and during dinner. I love Malbec, although it can be a bit overpowering sometimes. The addition of Bonarda softens the hard edges with bright fruit.
Amado Sur means love of the South, and after drinking this wine you will be in love with wines from South America.
The red blend is dark red in the glass with intense aromas of red fruit, vanilla and toast. On the palate it is elegant and complex, with beautiful jammy cherry tastes with some spice notes. Rounded tannins and a fresh acidity lead to a long, pleasant finish.
The blend is 70% Malbec, 18% Bonarda and 12% Syrah from mountain vineyards. The grapes were destemmed and crushed before undergoing 100% cold maceration for 48 hours before 16 days of fermentation in stainless steel tanks.
The wine then spends eight months in French oak barrels and six months in stainless steel tanks after blending. It also is aged in the bottle for five months before release.
The wine received 91 points from the prestigious Wine Spectator, which makes this wine even more of a bargain.
From: Argentina
Trivento means three winds. Icy and dry, the Polar wind blows in from the south, announcing the onset of winter. The first cold fronts indicate the time for pruning has begun.
The Zonda wind descends from the Andes year-round but its frequency peaks in spring. Its gusts of hot and dry air improve budding on the vine.
Sudestada wind is the fresh breeze of summer that sometimes brings storms. Cloudiness allows clusters to rest from the broiling sun. This ensures equilibrium in the grapes’ metabolism and leads to uniform ripening.
Trivento has nearly 3,200 acres of vineyards in eight locations in prestigious wine growing areas of Mendoza. The vineyards display a wide variety of soil, topography and microclimates.
Trivento produces a large number of wines under the Eolo, Golden Reserve, Amado Sur, Reserve and Brisa de Abril labels.
Cost: $14-16
Year: 2011
It would be a great wine with steak, and as soon as it warms up I want to try that pairing. It should also go well with a traditional Argentine beef empanada seasoned with cumin, some ribs on the grill, a hearty chili or beef stew.
We also loved sipping the wine while watching the snow swirl in the back yard. It was especially nice knowing we didn’t have anywhere to go and could stay home and enjoy the wine and the snow.
