Viva Torrentes!

As I continue to race through several wines, selecting new labels for my wine room at the store I got my hands on a nice Torrentes from Argentina. If you are not familiar with Torrentes, you are not alone. I discovered this grape about three years ago and have found it to be refreshing and somewhat of a gamble. An indigeonous grape to Argentina, Torrentes is very aromatic, a sweet grape and floral nose that awakens vigourously when swirled. It is light in body and in some cheaper bottles, it can taste a little too much like bitter grass or too sweet like grape juice. This particular one, from Gimenez Rili in Mendoza, was very nicely balanced for easy drinking, yet complex enough to sip and enjoy a clean,yet lingering finish. It was a bit creamy in the mouth, which suggests some acidity, but it was very pleasant and still light enough to drink as a refreshing summer quaff or paired with fruit and cheese. If you like "porch wine", as I call these summer refreshers, you should ditch the heavy Chardonnay or the pedestrian Pinot Grigio and give Torrentes a try, ask your wine merchant which they prefer and why then serve chilled with friends. Wouldn't you know, I forgot to ask what the retail price on this bottle was, but my guess would be about 10 dollars. Most Torrentes is between 8 and 11 dollars.