Get ready to grill the Argentinean way this summer – matched to the country’s ideal wine for outside dining
his summer, don’t say barbecue – say asado. The authentic Argentinian way to enjoy al fresco dining is a winning combination of rich flavours, including char-grilled meat, tempting sides and tasty starter dishes, particularly empanadas and picada – an enticing mix of cold meats and cheeses.
There’s one other element that is vital to the perfect asado – the right wine. Here Graffigna Malbec is the ideal solution: a bold, passionate red wine to match the powerful flavours of the food, and the embodiment of the dedication and passion that has gone into crafting Graffigna wines for nearly 150 years.
Graffigna Malbec (Sainsbury’s, £9)
Aroma: Intense and fruit-forward, with ripe red berries, sweet spices and a hint of black pepper, backed by toasted notes from its oak ageing.
Palate: Structured and balanced, with ripe tannins and fresh acidity that leads to toasted and vanilla hints on the finish.
Food matching: Very versatile. It pairs well with lamb and grilled beef, barbecued poultry and roasted vegetables.
It all started when Santiago Graffigna, an Italian immigrant and a passionate explorer, arrived in Argentina to work for his uncle with only one lira in his pocket.
Seduced by the beauty and untapped potential of the San Juan area, he established his own winery there in 1870 to share with the world his discovery of a new and untapped wine terroir.
Santiago was a true pioneer, leading the expansion of the railway to bring his wines to new consumers, and the winery went on to accomplish many firsts, including the use of gravity in winemaking and the creation of Radio del Vino, the first radio broadcast outside Buenos Aires.
Graffigna Malbec is the ideal solution: a bold, passionate red wine to match the powerful flavours of the food
Since then, the fame of Graffigna has spread around the world, with the winery’s ‘never timid’ philosophy bringing its bold selection of wines to more than 25 countries, and making it the most popular premium-plus wine from Argentina in the UK.
Today, Santiago Graffigna’s entrepreneurial spirit and – to use the local word – his “passion” lives on in Graffigna, through an uncompromising determination to make the finest wines from the best vineyard regions in Argentina.
As a ‘multi-altitude wine’, Graffigna Malbec captures this way of thinking perfectly, combining as it does grapes from vineyards planted at various heights and benefiting from Argentina’s perfect grape-growing climate.
From the lower altitudes (at about 2,300ft) come wines with freshness and fruit, sweet tannins and spices; while the higher altitudes (4,600ft) bring intensity, structure, a deep colour, firm tannins and a beguiling freshness.
It’s an approach that captures the quintessential “passion” that lives in the heart of Argentinian winemaking and the country’s way of life, and that – like the authentic asado of which it is an indispensable part – truly represents the spirit, flavours and culture of the country.