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Blog special from the winners of the Harpers/ Wines of Argentina competition - Part 5

Published:  21 October, 2008

Today Meeghan Murdoch takes the reins in our blog special from Argentina. Over the next few days the winners of the Harpers/ Wines of Argentina Steak Your Claim competition are updating us on their progress, as they enjoy a tour of each of the main wine regions and visit key producers to give them a taste of what Argentina can offer the UK. They are sending back missives of their travels. Over to Meeghan...

Today Meeghan Murdoch takes the reins in our blog special from Argentina. Over the next few days the winners of the Harpers/ Wines of Argentina Steak Your Claim competition are updating us on their progress, as they enjoy a tour of each of the main wine regions and visit key producers to give them a taste of what Argentina can offer the UK. They are sending back missives of their travels. Over to Meeghan...

First stop, Leoncino Arizu. Home of Luigi Bosca wines. At our tasting within a refurbished concerete wine vat where we found two new grapes added to Argentinas portfolio. Gewurtztraminer and Reisling.

This is we found our first DOC (a much debated topic that we're still trying to get our heads around) and a system of barrel microchipping, the height of technology thus far.

Next stop. Familia Zuccardi. In the region of Maipu where Jake found new depths of childishness with an array of gags involving the region.

The biggest winery seen yet with an output of 18 million liters. Here we found the interesting concept of five wineries within one compound with a winemaker for each division. Our guides were Marcelo Marasco (Uk export manager) and Gustavo Martinez (experiment and sparkling range). Zuccardi has managed to do the seemingly impossible and make a mammoth winery still feel like a close-knit family business.

The two were kind enough to allow us to dip into a few of their barrel samples. This is where I fell in love..... with Bonarda. It was inspiring to see so much experimentation and passion. Here we also saw interesting cross varietals like Marselan (Grenache/Cab-Sav) and Caladoc (Malbec/Grenache). We also saw Mr Malbec in yet another incarnation. This time as 'Malamado' a fortified wine.

We were treated to an amazing lunch at their lovely restaurant with several other local winemakers. It was here I discovered the heavenly matching of chocolate and a big moody Malbec.

Next stop. La Chamiza. Here we saw some beautiful 50 yr old Chenin Blanc vines that Emily tried to convince Francisco Burgos (export director) to make still wine from. We were taken on a tour of the winery in which we were suprised to see very modern and stylish newly built concerete vats. Then was a tasting of 15 wines including a sparkling and my favourite Bonarda.

Then it was back to the hotel for a quick shower and then off to dinner with Mendoza's wine elite where we hope to have a chance for our first Argentine steak!

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