Chapter 2
of 5
The aromatic profile
Here's a detail that trips up even seasoned drinkers. “Torrontés” is really a family of three closely related grapes:
- Torrontés Riojano — the star. The most planted, the most aromatic, and the source of essentially every good Torrontés you'll ever drink.
- Torrontés Sanjuanino — the middle child, mostly grown in San Juan, less aromatic.
- Torrontés Mendocino — the least aromatic and least planted.
In practice, this is simple: when a quality bottle just says “Torrontés,” it's almost always Riojano. The other two are workhorses you'll rarely meet by name.
