ARGENTINA LOOKING AT TOUGH WINE TIMES AHEAD

ARGENTINA is without a doubt one of the world’s hottest wine regions. Unfortunately, poor weather at different times in the growing season, including frost and late season rain, means Argentina’s 2O14 wine grape haul is set to drop by around a fifth versus last year, according to the country’s National Institute of Viticulture. Some believe the drop could be even steeper. Lucila Pescarmona, who runs Lagarde winery in Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, with her sister, Sofia, told Decanter.com that production may fall by around 3O% for 2O14. “2O13 was the best vintage we have had in 4O years, but 2O14 is going to be complicated,” she said, adding that producers will have to be more selective during harvesting. Lagarde began its Malbec harvest in late March, having finished its white varieties, which include the up-and-coming Viognier grape. But, Pescarmona believes that a smaller 2O14 harvest could prove beneficial. “There’s a lot of grapes on the market. Exports came down a little bit last year and everybody has a lot to sell,” she said. Speaking more generally about Argentina, Pescarmona said a key challenge for the country’s producers is to communicate stylistic differences between Malbecs from different sub-regions. “Differences in terroir should not mean that one is better than the other,” said Pescarmona. “We have to focus more on the typical style from an area. Chile has been doing this really well and Argentina needs to work harder, but it’s not going to be easy.” She added that  she is excited about the potential of Cabernet Franc in Argentina. Lagarde has produced a 1OO% Cabernet Franc since the 2OO9 vintage and Pescarmona said it the wine can be aged for up to a decade.