The Wine Republic

How do you come up with a list of the best wines in a region like Mendoza? It was never going to be an easy task,

but in our first Annual Wine Republic Tasting we certainly wanted to get as many wines in there as possible. First, a shortlist was drawn up of the region's best wines. This was done by compiling a nominee list from the wine gurus at Winery, Vines of Mendoza, Vino y Sol as well as the wineries favorites. Secondly we needed to recruit a body of judges capable of scoring these fantastic wines (see below for our professional panel). Finally, it was a case of pulling it off on the night. On Monday, April 26th, seven judges, 16 helpers, and a handful of local press and personalities gathered in The Executive Hotel for an evening of wine tasting. With 60 wines ahead of them, the seven judges had to swirl, sip, spit, and score each wine before moving onto the next flight. After a grueling three hours the judges had worked their way through whites, sparkling wines, roses, reds, and sweet wines, and were finally able to put their feet up and swallow some of the gorgeous vino along with other guests at the post-tasting wine reception.

Speaking to some of the judges after the tasting, they had all felt it had gone well and were in fact ready for some more! "I would have happily carried on," said Marcelo Casazza, a viticulture consultant and sommolier. "There was a very good level of wines here and a nice range representative of Mendoza." For judge David Kingsbury, the real stars of the show were the blends. "What really came through tonight were the blends - we had some really excellent wines," he said. "Maybe there is something there to be said about the future direction of Argentine wine." Wine writer and local expert Enrique Chrabolowsky also came to the tasting, although due to schedule conflicts was unable to judge: "I think it was a good tasting and very professional with strong judges and great wines," he commented. "There is a good intention here and I think in the future there will be more and more wineries eager to participate."

What is a Blind Tasting? by Charlie O'Malley
Dom Perignon, the famous Champagne wine-maker perfected the blind tasting. When trying his wines, he forbade his servers to tell him from which vineyard each sample came so it would not affect his judgment. The same principle is applied to the modern blind tasting, the most unbiased way to judge a wine. A committee of seven expert tasters try from wine bottles wrapped in paper bags – even the shape of the bottle is disguised to fool the most astute judge. Each taster awards up to 100 points to each wine in an atmosphere resembling an exam hall and judges are forbidden to confer and compare notes. From each result an average is taken to prevent a rogue judge affecting the outcome. The annual Wine Republic Tasting gives an unbiased assessment of Argentina's finest wines. Unlike many competitions, the wineries do not pay to enter and there is no gold medal bonanza to keep participants happy. What comes out on top is truly top.

The Judges by Julia Allen

Marcelo Casazza has over 16 years of experience in the wine industry. Professionally he is a viticulture consultant and has been hired to give his expertise to over 30 wineries in Argentina, Spain, and Hungary. He has worked with well-known consultants Michel Rolland, Paul Hobbs, Alberto Antonini, and Isabel Mijares, and managed the crops of wine giants Salentein, Trapiche, and Chandon.

 

 

Gabriela Celeste is a viticultural consultant and agricultural engineer. For the past ten years she has worked at Eno. Rolland SA alongside wine expert Michel Rolland. She has also studied wine making in France, Italy, and Argentina.

 

 

 

Duncan Killiner is a winemaker from New Zealand as well as a consultant for Cellar World and co-owner of Manos Negros wines. Duncan has worked in wine for 12 years with clients all over the world but the majority of his time has been spent in the Chilean, Argentine, and Uruguayan industries.

 

 

David Kingsbury has an undergraduate degree in Oenology and a master's degree in Wine Business. He was a winemaker with Rosemount Estates in Australian before moving to Bordeaux for eight years where he worked as the head winemaker in two international negociants. In 2001 David moved to Argentina as a winemaker consultant and is now the CEO of Gransud.

 

 

Luis Mantegini has a degree in tourism and is a professional sommelier. He began working in wine for 13 years and specializes as a guide in private wine tours. Currently he works as a consultant for wine tourism companies. Christina Pandolfi is a seasoned wine expert with years of experience judging international wine competitions such as OIV and Vinofed. Currently she is the Assistant Director of Technical Statistics and International Subjects at the Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura and also represents Mercosur and Grupo Mundial de Comercio del Vino in international negotiations.