Now for the most important thing. To understand any wine, you need to know five things.
1. Grape Variety This is like the "DNA" of wine. Malbec, Chardonnay, Sauvignon - each has its own style.
2. Climate Warm = ripe, fruity, soft wines. Cool = acidic, fresh, mineral. Argentina is unique in that it has it all: from hot Mendoza to icy Patagonia.
3. Soils Volcanic, rocky, clayey - the flavor changes noticeably. The high-altitude zones of Salta produce wines that seem to "glow" with minerals.
4. Altitude The higher the altitude, the fresher, brighter, more aromatic. Argentina is the leader in high-altitude winemaking.
5. Winemaking Style Stainless steel → clean, crisp. Oak → creamy, soft, spicy. Long aging → depth and complexity. This is the knowledge that will help you stop choosing wine blindly.
🍇 1. Grape variety is the DNA of wine
When we say "grape variety," it's not just a name on a label. It's a default set of properties, like genetics in humans. Each variety determines the wine: what aromas it will produce; how acidic or soft it will be; whether it will have a tongue-drying astringency (tannin); what color it will be; whether the wine will feel light or dense. Let's break down all these words so you can literally feel them.
1. Aromas: What do "aromatic molecules" mean?
Sounds scary, but in simple terms: Aromatic molecules are what a wine smells like. Different varieties have different "scent signatures":
Malbec → black cherry, plum, sometimes chocolate, and a bit of smoke.
Sauvignon Blanc → lime, green apple, freshly cut grass.
Torrontés (Argentine signature wine) → white flowers, lychee, peach, muscat.
Chardonnay → pear, apple, sometimes butter and vanilla (if oaked).
🔹 How to smell: Take three short inhalations over the glass, without fussing. Try to name at least two images: "smells like peach and flowers" is already superb. After a couple of such glasses, the brain will begin to automatically “recognize” the variety by smell.
2. Acidity: Why is it important and how can you taste it?
Acidity is how fresh and "lively" a wine feels. How it feels: After a sip, saliva starts to flow freely-the wine is acidic and lively; If the sensation is flat and slightly sweet, without a "prick" of freshness, the acidity is low.
Examples: Sauvignon Blanc from a cooler climate → high acidity (drooling is a real buzz).
Malbec from the hotter part of Mendoza → softer, more rounded acidity.
💡 Practical Test: Take a sip, swallow, and count to three. If saliva starts to flow freely under your tongue, you're tasting an acidic and fresh wine.
3. Tannins: What is that "drying" sensation?
Tannins are substances found in the skins, seeds, and sometimes oak barrels.
They produce: a feeling of astringency, a "drying" sensation in the gums and inside of the cheeks, like strong black tea without sugar. Where tannins are abundant:
Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat. Where they are almost absent: white wines (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Torrontés), light rosés.
🔹 How to feel: Take a sip of red wine, swallow, and run your tongue along your gums. If it feels dry and slightly rough, there are tannins, and the wine is structured.
4. Color: It's not just about aesthetics
The grape variety also determines the depth of color: fine light ruby → Pinot Noir, young Malbec;
dense dark violet → mature Malbec, Syrah, Tannat;
straw-yellow → Sauvignon Blanc; golden, almost buttery → mature Chardonnay, often oaked.
Practical advice: a darker, denser color often promises a richer flavor, but not always: it's also important to consider the tannins and the winemaker's style.
5. Structure: How the wine "hangs" in the mouth
Structure is how the following are combined: acidity, tannins, alcohol, body (how "heavy" or "light" the wine is). To put it simply: A light wine is like low-fat yogurt or lemon water. A dense, structured wine is like cream or thick juice. Examples by variety: Mendoza Malbec → medium-bodied or dense, with soft tannins, a "velvety" feel. Patagonia Pinot Noir → lighter, finer, and airier. Oaked Chardonnay → white, but can feel very "hearty" and oily.
📌 All Together: How the Variety Shapes a Wine's "Signature"
The variety is the starting matrix: Malbec Aroma: black cherry, plum, chocolate; Acidity: medium; Tannins: soft, velvety; Structure: dense, enveloping. Torrontés (Salta) Aroma: jasmine, lychee, peach; Acidity: bright, refreshing; Tannins: none (white wine); Structure: light to medium, very aromatic. Chardonnay (Mendoza, oaked) Aroma: pear, apple, vanilla, butter; Acidity: medium; Structure: buttery, creamy. 👉 Once you know the variety, you can roughly predict what will be in the glass without even tasting it: are you expecting flowers and lime, or chocolate and black cherry, or butter and vanilla.