Sometimes, it's good to go off the beaten track with a wine; most people have a list of "safe" wines, the familiar. For example, most wine drinkers know the major white grapes (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, perhaps even Viognier and Chenin Blanc). So when was the last time you tried something new?
Enter Torrontés. It's a grape grown primarily in South America, mainly Argentina, although I've seen Uruguayan examples of it as well. It's a grape that gives you a surprise when you drink it; it smells very riesling-like, showing peach and crisp pear, with mineral undertones, while tasting pretty much wholly unlike that. It's generally vinified dry, and the major flavor component tends to be crisp, under-ripe pear, with good acidity and some mineral.
Great wine for sipping during the summer, especially here in the warmer climes of the Gulf Coast of Florida. Chill, pop, and pour. Yum.
The best part? I've never seen a Torrontés that cost more than $14. At my local wine store, they range from $6 to about $12. So, they squarely occupy the region that Suavignon Blanc used to, before everyone began drinking New Zealand.
Photo from Wikipedia, used under copyleft.
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