Last summer I discovered Bordeaux rosé and drank it all summer long -- when I wasn’t drinking rosé from Provence, that is.  But just recently I saw this Argentine Malbec rosé in the wine shop and decided to try it, even though it’s younger than I normally like my rosés. (Although many people prefer them this young, I generally opt for a rosé with at least a couple of years’ aging, which means this summer I’m looking for 2007 vintages, or older if I can find them. Just my personal preference -- more on that later.)

    Vida Organica is a line of wines made from organically grown grapes by Familia Zuccardi, the same winery that produces the reasonably priced, well-regarded Santa Julia wines.  But before discussing the wine, here’s some background on organic products and how they are labeled in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration controls wine and food labeling and classifies organic products into three categories: Category 1: 100% organic; Category 2: organic (95% organic); and Category 3: made with organic ingredients (70% organic).  The presence of sulfites can affect what category a product falls into, or whether it qualifies as organic at all.  Sulfites in foods are measured in parts per million (ppm); the FDA won’t certify a product as organic unless it contains absolutely minimal levels of sulfites (generally 0 to <10 ppm). 

    Sulfites are naturally present in many foods, such as eggs, cabbage, onions, and dried fruits; dried apricots contain sulfites in levels of approximately 2,000 ppm.  Sulfites occur in very low levels in wine as a natural byproduct of fermentation (for this reason, no wine will qualify as 100% organic), and additional sulfites are often added to prevent bacteria growth and make the wine shelf-stable. Any wine that has a sulfite level of 10 ppm (the equivalent of a drop in a bathtub of water) or more must say “contains sulfites” on the label.  Wines made from organically grown grapes that have a sulfite level of <10 ppm qualify as organic (Category 2) wines; their labels will say “no sulfites added.”  Wines that are made from organically grown grapes but have a sulfite level of >10 ppm but <100 ppm fall into the third category; their labels will say “made from organically grown grapes.”  Vida Organica falls into this category.  (As a comparison, most regular [nonorganic] wines have a sulfite content of 350 ppm.) 

    The Zuccardi family originally produced irrigation systems in Argentina, and the winery got its start more than 45 years ago as a way of demonstrating a novel irrigation system designed by Alberto Zuccardi.  The Mendoza province, where the winery is located, is a high desert, and irrigation systems are necessary for growing grapes.  But the region’s climate, with its alluvial soils and wide variance between daytime and nighttime temperatures make it ideal for producing high-quality fruit -- and indeed, Mendoza is one of the eight “wine capitals of the world.”  Needless to say, Alberto Zuccardi’s irrigation system was a success.

    Familia Zuccardi now contains more than 700 hectares (1700+ acres) of vineyards scattered throughout the Mendoza province. It began growing grapes organically in 1999, and by 2003, nearly 50% of the winery’s vineyard land had been certified as organic.  The winery’s stated goal at the time was to have 100% of its vineyard land certified organic by 2008, but I could not verify whether this goal has been reached.

    And what is the result of their efforts?  First, this Malbec rosé has gorgeous color, a lovely dark strawberry.  There are lots of berries on the nose, predominantly strawberry and cherry, and the flavor is loaded with them, too -- though again, the strawberry dominates.  My complaint with very young rosés is that the alcohol frequently takes too commanding a role in the flavor of the wine. That is not the case with this wine.  This is a very smooth wine, with a soft finish but enough acidity to lend it some structure.  And please don’t confuse it with a blush wine.  It is not sweet, but refreshing, crisp, and full of flavor.  It’s a great choice to sip out on your deck, or for summer picnics and would pair well with many summer foods: barbecue, chicken, pork, even Mexican.  If I were dining outdoors in a warm region and wanted a nice, cold wine to go with a steak, I wouldn’t be afraid to choose this one, even though some might prefer a heavier red wine, even in the heat.

    Alcohol content: 13%

    The best news is the price:  This wine is widely available on the Internet at around $9, and from what I can tell, that is the going rate at wine shops, too.  One blogger even said he got it for $7, which is a steal worthy of jail time.  Don’t let the price fool you, or the screw top closure: This is an excellent rosé for the money, better than many I’ve paid twice the price for.

   

© K. Wills Sterling, 2009