▻ Viva Argentina! – Part One
▴ Sebastian Zuccardi
In conversation with Phil Crozier and Sebastian Zuccardi
Episode Summary:-
In our series Viva Argentina, Sarah Kemp travels to Argentina to speak with the people who are changing the wine landscape. In this episode, she meets the dynamic young award-winning winemaker, Sebastian Zuccardi, but before she left, she spoke to Phil Crozier, the well-known Argentine specialist, about how the wines of Argentina have changed over the past 15 years.
When Phil first went there in 1999 to secure some wines for the Gaucho restaurant chain, there were only 13 wineries in the UK market – and back then, the wineries were looking at promoting Torrontes, not Malbec.
Sarah recalls her first visit, when she found the wines heavy, over-oaked and quite sweet. She admits that she has never seen such a large change in a wine region in such a short time; today there are wines she believes can compete with the best in the world. The main change has been the move to regionality and terroir-driven wines Phil agrees: “Ten years ago nobody had a calicata (a pit dug to determine the geology), now everyone has one,” he says. This movement has been driven by a dynamic group of young winemakers. “They studied together, some went to school together, they certainly hung out together, they go to asados on a Sunday and bring their bottles – theirs is a free approach when they talk to each other. There are no secrets, they learn from each other.”
Phil also discusses the different regions and the sub-regions wine lovers should look for on the labels. He explains how there are similarities between the Andes and Burgundy--both have calcium carbonate in the soil, similar temperatures and a wide difference in diurnal temperatures from night to day. The one big difference is that Argentina has 320 days of sunshine!
Today Phil says that the wineries are picking a month earlier than 10 years ago, and are also using less oak. Both he and Sarah agree that the future is very exciting.
““Argentina is discovering itself. Bordeaux had 1,000 years to do this, Argentina has done it in less than 15 years.” ”
Then, in Argentina, Sarah talks to Sebastian Zuccardi at his winery in the Uco Valley, about his approach, which he reveals is all about “place.”
“The Argentina map is stretching. We are cultivating souther and norther, in the Andes we are cultivating higher and in the East we are cultivating closer to the mountains,” he explains. Sebastian describes how Mendoza is an isolated area, with no ocean influence, the most continental wine area in the world. “We make mountain wines, everything is in relation to the mountains.”
He explains how the Andes is not one mountain, but a series of ranges, three of which affect Argentina’s wine region. The material from each is different, one range is volcanic, which produces more granite, another contains calcium carbonate; it is this sort of diversity which provides such interesting and heterogeneous soils. Altitude and latitude are also extremely important, because you can go a short distance higher on the mountain and experience different growing conditions.
That diversity of soil led Sebastian to his parcel-by-parcel approach to wine. In one 17-hectare vineyard, he has 30 different parcels, all picked and vinified separately. Sarah concludes by talking about Argentina’s fine-wine ambition and the attention to detail that winemakers like Sebastian Zuccardi are taking, which is at the heart of achieving it.
Running Order:-
-
0.00 – 8.26
“The biggest change is how Argentina views themselves as a winemaking nation.” – Phil Crozier
– Sarah Kemp and Phil Crozier discuss the evolution of Argentina’s wine industry.
– Phil Crozier’s first trip to Argentina in 1999, only 13 wineries exported to the United Kingdom.
– In 1999 Malbec was not the grape Argentina promoted.
– How big and small wineries have embraced regionality. -
8.27 – 20.15
“Ten years ago nobody talked about calicatas, now everyone has one.” – Phil Crozier
– The new generation of winemakers in Argentina.
– The importance of latitude and altitude.
– The regions and sub-regions to look for on the labels.
– Gualtallary, the high-altitude wine region of Argentina producing some of its most notable wines. -
20.16 – 37.09
“We make mountain wines and everything is in relation to the mountain.” – Sebastian Zuccardi
– Sebastian Zuccardi of Familia Zuccardi talks to Sarah Kemp at his winery in the Uco Valley.
– Sebastian discusses how the Argentine wine map is stretching to new regions.
– Discussion of the different mountain ranges making up the Andes Mountains and their diverse soils.
– The importance of altitude and latitude in Argentina.
– Why Sebastian believes that Malbec is about a sense of place.
– Sebastian’s parcel-by-parcel approach to viticulture and winemaking.
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