This country never ceases to intrigue. It shares the ands with Chile and takes the harsh winds from the South Atlantic Ocean. It is rugged and majestic and is the fifth largest wine-producing country in the world.

Argentina is a country that has suffered much hardship but was once the eighth richest nation in the world. Manual labour still remains cheap and is preferred for that reason over mechanical harvesting even though the quality of the overall wines would benefit from cool night time picking.

Mendoza is the largest wine-producing area with the much hotter San Juan Valley following a close second. The red grape malbec thrives in these regions and produces full-bodied, fruity wines with a strong tannic structure, perfectly suited to the beautifully-reared Argentinean beef. Aromas and flavours of the malbec can range from tobacco and raisins, but if picked under-ripe can certainly possess a vegetal greenness and can prove to possess an astringency.

Pedro Giménez is the most planted white varietal with Torrontés being number two. Not long ago, I discovered Torrontés and fell in love with it. It is a variation of three different varietals: Torrontés Riojano, Torrontés Sanjuanino and Torrontés Mendocino. Traditionally it has aromas and flavours of the muscat grape. Floral, soapy, and sometimes lightly spicy. It is delightfully refreshing and has an acidity that will pair nicely with food.