The Australian Wine Club: Argentine wines for a sensational barbecue
An alchemy takes place when a region's food and wine find themselves so simpatico that somehow it feels indecent to order one without the other.
The fattened lambs of northern Spain are at their best when partnering a glass of local Rioja. The bright acidity of a Loire Valley sauvignon blanc sings in combination with a goat's cheese made down the road.
In Argentina, the ritual of the asado is far more than a barbecue – it's social communion, families and neighbourhoods brought together by a plate of slowly grilled meat in one hand and a glass of malbec in the other.
The pairing of beef from the flat grasslands in the centre of the country and the bold reds from up in the foothills of the Andes isn't a cliche so much as a national celebration.
At a point in the year when gathering around a fire is an essential ritual of the season, the quartet of Argentine reds in this week's special offer case from The Australian Wine Club is particularly timely.
Wines from Mendoza feature in this week's special offer.
Three are malbecs but set apart by fascinating regional differences: HJ Fabre's 2023 Patagonia Malbec (RRP $40) scored 93 points from highly respected British Master of Wine Tim Atkin; a 2020 Parcela Selecta Malbec (RRP $42) offers a superbly balanced drinking experience, while The Holdings 2024 Malbec (RRP $28) comes from a lauded bodega in the Mendoza region.
Add to that another Mendoza standout, the Reservado Cabernet Franc, also from HJ Fabre, plus a case discount of 36 per cent, and the temptation to host an asado is growing by the minute.
'Every time I go there it's all about asado,' says Leo Bassano, The Australian Wine Club's Argentinian authority, who is perpetually on the hunt for Argentine vintages worth having.
'Asado is much more than a way of cooking meat. Every region has its own cuts and a special way of seasoning the meat, but it's all about the fire and a couple of drinks, and then hours and hours of just chatting and eating.
'There is a glass of malbec all the time, of course, because it's the best match.'
The funny thing is that Argentines knew the value in that match for generations but most of the rest of the world had little idea, at least until some 30 years ago.
'In the 1990s, everything changed for Argentina as a wine country,' Bassano says. 'Back then Argentina was not on the worldwide map for wine, basically was not on the radar.
'There were stories of companies trying to pull out the malbec vines from the ground and they were trying to get famous consultants from around the world to grow chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon because they wanted to get into the international markets.
'Everything changed in the 1990s with winemakers from Europe who actually went there, they started consulting, they started investing and they completely changed the course of Argentina, especially with malbec.'
Parcela Selecta Malbec 2020
Glinting an inkily dark purple in the glass, this offers dark red fruits on the nose with a wash of mocha, vanilla and spice. From the first sip there's a lovely texture and weight, superb balance and silky smooth tannins that would marry happily with the sort of slow-grilled meat described above. Dried herbs and aniseed provide the undertow and a lick of acidity keeps it super fresh. 14% alc, RRP $42 a bottle.
SPECIALS $33.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen.
HJ Fabre Reservado Cabernet Franc 2023
An increasingly interesting varietal in Argentina's canon, this iteration has an almost perfumed nose. Awash with floral notes, rose petals, cedar and turned earth, there's also flashes of vanilla and tobacco. The palate, though, is all about red fruits held in firm, rounded tannins with just a hint of cedar and spice. Also great with food but delicious any which way. 93 points, Descorchados Wine Guide. 14% alc, RRP $40 a bottle.
SPECIALS $32.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen.
HJ Fabre Barrel Selection Patagonia Malbec 2023
For a perfect contrast, try this Fabre stablemate offering a nose flecked with plum, graphite, vanilla and just a hint of dried herbs, especially tarragon. On the tongue there's a beautiful velvety texture – full-bodied and smooth with a polished quality and lovely freshness. The flavours of ripe, spicy plums and blueberry are concentrated, with a little espresso on the finish. 93 points, Descorchados Wine Guide. 14.5% alc, RRP $40 a bottle.
SPECIALS $32.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen.
The Holdings Malbec 2024
The macerated strawberries, plum and hints of lavender on the nose tell you this is designed to please, and the soft, medium-bodied palate underlines its appeal. There's more plum and strawberry in the mouth, vanilla, spice and a few smoky notes to add a savoury edge. The length is pleasingly long thanks to silky, soft tannins. 13% alc, RRP $28.
SPECIALS $19.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen.
ARGENTINE DOZEN Three bottles of each wine above for $23.99 a bottle.SAVE $162.
Order online or phone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST and quote 'AC4D'. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
Onlookers capture moment fighter jet skims terrifyingly close to packed beach
This is the terrifying moment a fighter jet skimmed frighteningly close to a packed Spanish beach. Shocking footage shows a Spanish Air Force EF-18 Hornet roaring over San Lorenzo Beach, its nose diving towards the sea before pulling up just metres from sunbathers. The combat aircraft, spewing puffs of black smoke, is seen flipping upside down in the sky before swooping so low it appears to almost graze the sand. Holiday-makers lounging on the beach can be seen grabbing their phones to film the stunt, with several screaming in shock as the jet thundered overhead. In another clip, groups of spectators watching from a nearby hill can be heard raising their voices in alarm as the jet tore through the air. The hair-raising display took place during the nineteenth edition of the Gijón Air Festival, held on Sunday over San Lorenzo Bay in Asturias. Around 250,000 people flock to the annual event, which is considered one of Spain's biggest aeronautic spectacles. After its perilous near-miss, the fighter jet continued its flight away from the crowded shoreline, leaving shaken tourists staring in disbelief. But online, viewers were divided over whether the death-defying manoeuvre was intentional – or a risky slip-up. 'Very risky manoeuvre … is that allowed?' one user asked on TikTok. Another on Reddit suggested: 'For me it looked like he lost too much height during the roll and pulled up too hard, making him lose a lot of speed, unintentionally. 'Could be the perspective, too.' Others, however, were left awe-struck. One thrilled festival-goer declared: 'I witnessed that live and it was one of the best things I've seen in a long time.' It comes as terrified beachgoers in Sardinia were forced to flee when a raging wildfire tore across the popular Punta Molentis coastline. Holiday-makers dropped towels and sunbeds as smoke engulfed the golden sand, with flames creeping right up to the water's edge in the blistering 34C heat. More than 100 people had to be rescued by sea after escape routes were cut off, while firefighters battled the inferno with Canadair water bombers, helicopters and even an Italian Air Force aircraft. Cars parked by the shore were left reduced to twisted metal after the blaze ripped through a beach parking area, torching around 200 vehicles and a kiosk. Local media said a 'jewel' of the Sarrabus coast had been destroyed, with footage showing families scrambling to safety as thick plumes of grey and black smoke filled the sky. The Sardinia fire is the latest in a series of Mediterranean infernos, with Turkey enduring a deadly 50 degree celsius heatwave that has already claimed four lives and forced 3,500 people to evacuate. Greece has also been ravaged, with wildfires sweeping villages near Athens and scorching parts of the Aegean Islands after a week-long heatwave pushed temperatures beyond 45 degrees celsius. A blaze even tore through a northern suburb of Athens at the weekend, forcing panicked residents to flee their homes.
SBS Australia
a day ago
- SBS Australia
Retro Radio: Brillante Mendoza's 'Serbis'
'Serbis' was nominated for the Palme d'Or (main prize) during the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival. This is the second Filipino film to be nominated for the Palme d'Or , first was Lino Brocka's 'Jaguar' in 1979. Before working in the film industry, Brillante Mendoza worked in advertising. LISTEN TO SBS Filipino 16:42 Filipino 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino 📲 Catch up episodes and stories – Visit or stream on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , Youtube Podcasts , and SBS Audio app.
The Australian
3 days ago
- The Australian
The Australian Wine Club: Argentine wines for a sensational barbecue
Slowly they grow together, no one quite sure which came first, until their partnership is as natural as Lennon and McCartney or Romeo and Juliet. An alchemy takes place when a region's food and wine find themselves so simpatico that somehow it feels indecent to order one without the other. The fattened lambs of northern Spain are at their best when partnering a glass of local Rioja. The bright acidity of a Loire Valley sauvignon blanc sings in combination with a goat's cheese made down the road. In Argentina, the ritual of the asado is far more than a barbecue – it's social communion, families and neighbourhoods brought together by a plate of slowly grilled meat in one hand and a glass of malbec in the other. The pairing of beef from the flat grasslands in the centre of the country and the bold reds from up in the foothills of the Andes isn't a cliche so much as a national celebration. At a point in the year when gathering around a fire is an essential ritual of the season, the quartet of Argentine reds in this week's special offer case from The Australian Wine Club is particularly timely. Wines from Mendoza feature in this week's special offer. Three are malbecs but set apart by fascinating regional differences: HJ Fabre's 2023 Patagonia Malbec (RRP $40) scored 93 points from highly respected British Master of Wine Tim Atkin; a 2020 Parcela Selecta Malbec (RRP $42) offers a superbly balanced drinking experience, while The Holdings 2024 Malbec (RRP $28) comes from a lauded bodega in the Mendoza region. Add to that another Mendoza standout, the Reservado Cabernet Franc, also from HJ Fabre, plus a case discount of 36 per cent, and the temptation to host an asado is growing by the minute. 'Every time I go there it's all about asado,' says Leo Bassano, The Australian Wine Club's Argentinian authority, who is perpetually on the hunt for Argentine vintages worth having. 'Asado is much more than a way of cooking meat. Every region has its own cuts and a special way of seasoning the meat, but it's all about the fire and a couple of drinks, and then hours and hours of just chatting and eating. 'There is a glass of malbec all the time, of course, because it's the best match.' The funny thing is that Argentines knew the value in that match for generations but most of the rest of the world had little idea, at least until some 30 years ago. 'In the 1990s, everything changed for Argentina as a wine country,' Bassano says. 'Back then Argentina was not on the worldwide map for wine, basically was not on the radar. 'There were stories of companies trying to pull out the malbec vines from the ground and they were trying to get famous consultants from around the world to grow chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon because they wanted to get into the international markets. 'Everything changed in the 1990s with winemakers from Europe who actually went there, they started consulting, they started investing and they completely changed the course of Argentina, especially with malbec.' Parcela Selecta Malbec 2020 Glinting an inkily dark purple in the glass, this offers dark red fruits on the nose with a wash of mocha, vanilla and spice. From the first sip there's a lovely texture and weight, superb balance and silky smooth tannins that would marry happily with the sort of slow-grilled meat described above. Dried herbs and aniseed provide the undertow and a lick of acidity keeps it super fresh. 14% alc, RRP $42 a bottle. SPECIALS $33.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen. HJ Fabre Reservado Cabernet Franc 2023 An increasingly interesting varietal in Argentina's canon, this iteration has an almost perfumed nose. Awash with floral notes, rose petals, cedar and turned earth, there's also flashes of vanilla and tobacco. The palate, though, is all about red fruits held in firm, rounded tannins with just a hint of cedar and spice. Also great with food but delicious any which way. 93 points, Descorchados Wine Guide. 14% alc, RRP $40 a bottle. SPECIALS $32.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen. HJ Fabre Barrel Selection Patagonia Malbec 2023 For a perfect contrast, try this Fabre stablemate offering a nose flecked with plum, graphite, vanilla and just a hint of dried herbs, especially tarragon. On the tongue there's a beautiful velvety texture – full-bodied and smooth with a polished quality and lovely freshness. The flavours of ripe, spicy plums and blueberry are concentrated, with a little espresso on the finish. 93 points, Descorchados Wine Guide. 14.5% alc, RRP $40 a bottle. SPECIALS $32.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen. The Holdings Malbec 2024 The macerated strawberries, plum and hints of lavender on the nose tell you this is designed to please, and the soft, medium-bodied palate underlines its appeal. There's more plum and strawberry in the mouth, vanilla, spice and a few smoky notes to add a savoury edge. The length is pleasingly long thanks to silky, soft tannins. 13% alc, RRP $28. SPECIALS $19.99 in any dozen, $23.99 in our Argentine dozen. ARGENTINE DOZEN Three bottles of each wine above for $23.99 a $162. Order online or phone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST and quote 'AC4D'. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550.
