Summery white wine from Dominio del Plata

Because Argentina is so well known for their Malbecs, white wines from this major producing country don’t usually get their due of oohs and ahhs.  But when it comes to summery quaffing beverages, wines made from the Torrontés grape in this country of wine are hard to beat.

And fortunately for us, Argentine exporters prepared for summer here in the Northern Hemisphere well in advance!  One of the top producers of Argentine white wines is Dominio del Plata.  Their “Crios” family (meaning “offspring” in Spanish) is the perfect lineup of nicely done, freshly-appointed, informal wines.  The lightest of these are rely on Torrontés to provide a soft yet zesty Spanish Mediterranean experience to enjoy on a hot day.

If you like raw oysters on the half shell with lemon and cocktail sauce, this wine is a pairing champ.  This is because the two of them (wine & oysters) combine together to form a “symmetrical pairing”.  Matches such as these are sought after by chefs and sommeliers alike.

What does it mean?  Well, a lot of people make a big deal out of “Sym-Pairs”, but basically it’s a matchup between the food and wine at 2 or more taste points.  With oysters and Torrontés, it’s the melon with the seafood flavor, acidity with the lemon, and sweet traces with the spicy cocktail sauce.  Use this wine as quick chaser as those oysters slide down and it’s obvious.

When tasting this wine in general, be sure to try it with seafood appetizers.  Its refreshing bouquet of melon-like tropical fruit and grassy citrus also lends itself well the Mediterranean food combinations that are included in the “Med Diet”.  But because of its balanced mouth feel, like a Riesling with a trace of sweet plus acidity, it also goes well with added spicy toppings on the cuisine, very versatile.

Crios Torrontés now available at our Phoenix area Total Wine stores for under $15.  This is a very good price for such a well-crafted wine and their 2012 vintage (harvested down under in Argentina over a year ago) will go quickly.

Serve well chilled at 40-60 minutes in the fridge (45-55 degrees).  Even then, the bouquet jumps out of the glass and melon flavors come to the surface as it warms.  An interesting wine for mixed company.

Article by Tom Peiffer, Phoenix Wine Shopping Examiner at Examiner.com

View more of Tom’s articles on Examiner.com by visiting his writer’s page.