Dare I say that it’s been awhile since someone has touted any new wines from South America in Notes from Wine Country?  I’m afraid that I must shoulder a bit of the blame here.  Yes, it seems that I’ve been fixated with nothing but Burgundy wine and cheese of late (the faint echoes of that amazing French trip are still reverberating in the recesses of my cranium).  Time to rectify this pronto! 

Over than past couple of months, ABCFWS has procured a few new releases of delectable Direct-to-You reds from the foothills of the Andes.  Allow me to recommend a dynamic duo of wines from Viña Alicia: Viña Alicia Cabernet Sauvignon Paso de Piedra and Viña Alicia Malbec Paso de Piedra (priced at $17.99 each).

This small production Mendoza winery sources its fruit from prime vineyard tracts in Luján de Cuyo.  The alluvial soils here are ideal for thick skinned varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and, of course, Malbec.  But that’s only half the story.  Alicia Arizu, who established Viña Alicia in 1996, is the progeny of Argentine wine royalty!  Her father is none other than Alberto Arizu, a Maverick figure in the Argentina wine industry and proprietor of Luigi Bosca. 

The Cabernet is from the San Alberto vineyard in Lunlunta and produced from 40 year old vines.  The Malbec is produced from the Viña Alicia vineyard in Las Compuertas.  The average vine age is an astounding 110 years old!  Now that's some old-vine fruit!  Both vineyards are planted on a bedrock of clay and limestone which gives each wine a nice minerally twinge.

Fans of flavorful reds with plenty of personality should check out these solid, well-made offerings. 

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

Follow me on Twitter @AbcWineJimG