Last Wednesday we left from Schiphol to Santiago the la Capostello for a wine excursion. Hardly revived of this flight we were already on the next flight, we flew above the Andes mountains to Mendoza, Argentina. As if we had plenty of energy left, 45 minutes after arrival we visited the vineyards of Mendoza. Don Francisco Rutini started with the production of wine for the local market in his birth village, Ascoli Piceno in Italy. However, his only son Felipe Rutini immigrated to Argentina. Felipe became the founder of this company in 1885.

The company possesses several vineyards, such as the Maipu vineyard (on 800 meters height), the Tupungato vineyard (on 1200 meters height) and the Rivadavia vineyard (on 600 meters height).

Trapich was the second vineyard we visited. Carla Castorina and Claudia Benegas, both responsibly for PR and the export to Europe, gave us a warm welcome in the nostalgic vineyard. Sir Belmonte is the director of the vineyard. He is responsible for the different plots, the geographical characteristics, the soil structure and the aging of wines of the selected grape types. Different plots are the principles for the blending of grapes with intensity and a minerals structure.

I will only mention some wines of which I think you will have a taste for. Torrontès Brooken 2007; a white grape of Argentina, which taste and smells to fresh exotic fruit, such as citrus. The wine is nice crispy in the long aftertaste. Moreover, I would like to mention a single vineyard such as Iskay2006; a combination of wine of Merlot and Malbec. The wine is gentle in the beginning, intensely black currants and sea-breams, slightly sticking tannins yet tastefully, light peppers and mineraly in the final.

Wine regards from Argentina,
Noël Vanwittenbergh Sommelier Ciel Bleu Restaurant