DON’T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA

My great grandmother, Josefa Solanz Meuthen, was born in Aragon, Spain. She was married to a German soldier who fought in the First World War. When she became a widow, she moved with her two sons to Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was the first woman in my family who became an immigrant and made it on her own in a foreign country.

Eight years ago, I did the same thing as my great grandmother, but the other way around, I left Argentina. I came as an immigrant to America. Though it has not been easy all the time, I’m very happy to be in America as this is now my country, my land and my love.

In my family we all love wines, and usually enjoyed Argentine wines. But, believe me, Argentina is more than Malbecs, steaks and tango...we are very lucky to have very important wine regions located in the northern provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, La Rioja and Salta.

Most of the Argentine wine production is in the province of Mendoza, due to its high altitude, low humidity, lack of insects, fungi and other common grapes diseases that usually affect vineyards. This allows cultivating grapes with little or no pesticides and that’s how most of the Argentine wines today are basically organic wines.

Now going back to my immigrant status, in Argentina our wines are a result of other immigrants like me, who came from Europe after the First World War. They brought with them different varieties of grapes that were originally cultivated in the Old Continent.

The French brought Auxerrois, which later became known as Malbec, the Italians brought the Bonarda and later we started producing the Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and other varietals that are less known, but still good to try.

So today I will not speak about the traditional Malbecs, but I want to share with you the powerful white wine: Torrontes.

This white wine grape was originally a Spanish grape, a variety from Galicia that was brought by the Spanish Missionaries that landed in Argentina and it was then produced in the provinces of Salta, San Juan and La Rioja. This type of grapes thrives in cold dry conditions and is a distant relative of the Tarrantes grape, that you could find in the South of Italy. It has a low acidity, smooth texture and it usually has a peach, orange and apricot aromas. It's golden, greenish color and full body make the Torrontes a perfect white wine for spring and summer time.

Torrontes could be paired with spicy Thai food, Indian food, smoked meats, mild cheeses and of course with any kind of seafood.

Finish your work day, come home, take off your shoes, open the door of your backyard and bring your chilled glass of Torrontes and just enjoy the rest of your evening letting the Torrontes bring you the spirit of faraway lands.

Don’t cry for me Argentina...
You have Malbecs and Torrontes.
You should not cry because you have the best!

KEEP IT SIMPLE, DRINK ORGANIC WINES!

My friend Ahkibah loves to try new restaurants and new wines. Last Monday, she came to the office and told me that she had dinner at a cute Italian restaurant where she had a Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington, named “Naked”.

Did she say “Naked”?... Yes, she did.

“Naked” wines are produced by Snoqualmie Winery in Washington and are made with minimal intervention. They are farmed in a natural or “naked” way with certified organically grown grapes. This winery has been practicing organic farming in Washington for more than two decades. The 2008 Riesling is a 100% organic wine and it offers aromas of spicy pear and apple. Too good to be true!

“Organic wine” refers to grapes grown without the use of any chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides. Since the government is very strict on labeling items "organic", the winemaking of organic wines should be made by hand-harvesting. Also, the yeasts used during the fermentation process follow strict storage organic conditions. Next time you see a wine label that says “organic”, it means that those wines were produced following certain organic governmental standards.

The Riesling varietal is also a fantastic wine for this time of the year. It compliments spring and summer time in a great fresh, crispy and mineral way. It's light straw to amber color reminds me of an antique lace of a vintage bride’s dress. The Riesling brings flavors of honey, peach and apricot. It’s all about being happy, beautiful and surrounded by flowers. Though this white grape was originated in the Rhine River Valley in Germany, nowadays we could find high quality Rieslings in Austria, Alsace (France), New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

So, to all those women that they are already living in an organic way, buying fresh vegetables from their local markets, wearing clothes made from natural fabrics, and using organic cosmetics, remember that you can also go organic when you want to have a good glass of wine.

Keep it simple, keep it organic and take care of Mother Earth. She is our first nurturing source, and we need to love her and respect her.

Go green and try an organic Riesling!

Rosé wines: the new pink passion!

It is official: winter is over!

Unpack your flip-flops, tank-tops and shorts and run get your pedicure ASAP! Change your mindset and get into the spring spirit: shiny-sheer textures, vivacious colors and lots of shimmer.

When springtime comes, I always picture myself as Pretty in Pink. Who doesn’t like pink? Light pink, dark pink, bright pink. Every woman has gone through a pink period of time at some point in her life, and I’m no exception to the rule.

Speaking of pink stuff, let’s talk about the rosé wines, which are in fact pink and perfect for springtime.

The word “rosé” means pink in French. This type of wine has some of the red wine color, but only enough to turn a pinkish color. It all depends on the wine making. Usually, what wine makers do is take the red grapes and crush them. They allow the skins to remain in contact with its juice for two or three days. Then they press the grapes and remove their skins before it gets too dark (like red wines). That’s how the magic pink moment happens!

Most of the rosé wines are made from varietals like Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. And the fantastic bright pink color is usually the combination of strawberry, raspberry, cherry and peach flavors. They are always served chilled and are a total “must” wine for women.

You could pair rosés with seafood, steaks, chicken and roast beef. Rosés are perfect for a romantic picnic by the river with the love of your life or when hosting a barbecue at your home for your family on a Sunday afternoon. Offering your guests a chilled glass of a rosé before dinner is also a very chic and glamorous option.

Therefore, this spring, take advantage of the rosés and organize a cookout with your girlfriends on the patio. Add some fresh, colorful roses and gardenias, hang some bright pink paper lanterns, ask them to dress in pink or “French rosé”. Play the original 80’s movie Pretty in Pink CD. You'll be dancing all night long…

Tip of the week:

Discover the new pink passion in you and share the rose experience with the rest of the world!