Christie Kiley on October 27, 2014 0 Comments Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away and pretty soon you will be doing all the shopping for the big turkey and all the fixin’s. Once you get all that done, there is one little ‘fixin’’ you should not look over. The wine. For Turkey Day, the old standby is usually an oaked Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or maybe even some Zinfandel if you have gone a little non-traditional with another game bird. There is one more varietal you should put at the table alongside the others, or perhaps even replace altogether, Torrontes. There are a couple ‘Torrontes’ in which you can find in the world of wine, one of which you can find in Spain and another which you find in Argentina. The former and the latter, however, are not even related, not even in their DNA. These are completely separate grapes all their own. They are not even really sure where the Torrontes you find in Argentina even really came from. Some believe it was brought over the border from Chile a few generations back where it ended up in Salta way northwest. Those clever people from UC Davis have figured out it is the cross of two grapes; Criolla Chica and the Mission grape. In any case, just as Malbec has become the signature red grape Argentina is known for, this is the signature white. If you have yet to give Torrontes a try, the Colome is one to get your hands on. It is a lovely wine and a great ‘introductory’ Torrontes if it has never graced your glass or palate. A Little Bit About the Place The Colome winery is owned by the Hess family. You might be familiar with this name from the Hess Family Collection in the Napa Valley. They also own vineyards in Australia and South Africa and another winery up there in Salta, Argentina called Amalaya. Amalaya is their biodynamic farmed winery (good stuff from there too). It was originally founded in 1831 and around 2000, it was completely renovated and revamped by the Hess family with their biodynamic practices put into action here as well. Colome is the home to the world’s highest vineyards! We are talking around the altitude of Aspen Colorado; 9,000 feet above sea level or higher (2,700-3,200 meters above sea level). They do get snow at times, but not too much at it is far north in the southern hemisphere. The region only gets around 200-300mm of precipitation per year and the water table is about 200 meters under the ground, so these vines see very little water. For them to get a little help, in the spring, the vineyards are flooded down canals alongside the rows of vines for about two weeks to assist with bud break. After this, the water source is shut off and this is pretty much all the water these strong and resistant vines see for the remainder of the growing season. The vines lie in the Calchaqui Valley in soils consisting of sand, mica and silica. This composition is truly unique from many places in the world and it gives the wines of this region some very signature characteristics of warm spice and mineral characteristics you can sense on the nose of the wines and on the finish on your palate. As the vineyards sit close to the sun, this Torrontes grape has really mutated and adapted to its high desert climate. It forms thick skins and tight bunches with smaller berries. When the grapes are ripe they are a beautiful golden yellow with a touch of green. On the Wine As I stated in the beginning, this is a great Turkey Day wine and you might be hard-pressed to find another of its quality for such a great price. You can find it most places for under $20! If you are having a large gathering, at that price you can grab a case or two. That way you are covered all through the Fall season, as well as Christmas too! As I mentioned as well, this is a great ‘starter’ Torrontes and the nose is quite lovely with the minerality of the region right inside your glass along with sweet citrus notes of mandarin, clementine, lemon drop with other notes like warm spice, something similar to that you might find in a good Gewurztraminer. The palate is very refreshing and it is a dry style wine, and though it is a light-bodied wine, it does not lack in structure. The wine lingers in your mouth with mouthwatering citrus notes, lemon curd, green apple and pear with a lovely perfumed finish of the sweet citrus from the nose. If you cannot hold off having it with turkey, trying it with a cheese platter of goat cheeses, feta, oil-cured stuffed olives, or a nice white bean bruschetta. Happy Thanksgiving to you all! More Wine Reviews: Catena Alta Chardonnay 2011 Vicentin Blend de Malbec, 2011 San Pedro de Yacochuya Torrontés 2012 Dolium Eco-Estate 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
