I happily braved an unusually intense Seattle downpour to chat with Winemaker José Lovaglio of Dominio del Plata. He’s the latest guest on my Wine Without Worry podcast. [SUBSCRIBE] I was curious about what was happening in Argentina concerning Malbec. These wines came on the scene with an unbeatable one-two punch of flavor and value. And had the glow of the new. (Or at least to me and many other people).

So after that initial buzz, what’s the deal with Malbec from Argentina today? Lovaglio discusses its diversity within and outside of Mendoza, the most well-known region for the country’s signature red wine grape.

And speaking of signature grapes, we also chat about Torrontés, a light and lively white wine with serious floral aromatics. But sometimes you can get too much of a good thing in the nose department. How does a winemaker prevent Torrontés from smelling like a potpourri-filled glass? Or resembling the “good” soap, for ornamental purposes only. The kind that if you ever actually lathered up your hands with, you’d get yelled at. Also, what does a barrel-aged Torrontés taste like? Why give oak to such a fresh, easy-drinking white wine?

Wines Tasted:

• 2014 Susana Balbo Crios Torrontés
• 2013 Susana Balbo Barrel Fermented Torrontés
• 2014 Susana Balbo Crios Malbec
• 2012 Susana Balbo Malbec

(BTW, Lovaglio is Susana Balbo‘s son.)

Finally, I begged (ok, just asked) Lovaglio to reveal what grapes he thought were rising stars in the world of Argentinian wine. And you can hear my surprise at his first answer. Check out the show:

Wine Without Worry: José Lovaglio of Dominio del Plata

Tags: barrel fermented torrontes, how to make torrontes, new grapes argentina, Wine Without Worry