Outstanding variety that is finding its place on the tables of consumers around the world.
The Bonarda has a history of long journeys. The grape came to America from Europe with Italian immigrants and finally settled at the foot of the Andes.
Once installed throughout the country, it was in eastern Mendoza (due to its climatic and soil qualities) where the vineyards planted with Saboya vines reached the greatest extension. The vines easily adapted to the soil and developed an increasingly higher yield, which turned into many liters of wine to market. These qualities made the vineyards, known until then as Barbera, Barbera Bonarda or simply Bonarda, spread to other regions of Mendoza and also to San Juan.
Foto – Diario Clarin
For years, winegrowers of Italian and Argentine origin confused the Bonarda, as it is called in Argentina, with the Bonarda grape from Piedmont. It was in 2009 that it was finally discovered that the grape was not Bonarda at all. Investigations revealed that it was a French variety. A DNA profile revealed that the grape was identical to another near-extinct grape, born in Savoy (a region adjacent to the French Alps), known as Douce Noir (“doose-nwar”), which is also identical to a grape found in old vineyards. in Napa under the name of Charbono.
For this reason, the name “Argentina” has been added to the Bonarda grape, since after years of research, its vines have little in common with those of Savoy or Piedmont.
Foto – Diario Cronista
The wines from this grape are unique, special and harmonious. They are characterized by their intense ruby red color, almost purple, with soft tannins, aromas of black fruits such as blackberries, strawberries and cherries, figs, some cedar, vanilla, tobacco and spices. On the palate, on the other hand, it is balanced, pleasant and even somewhat sweet in its background. It is a “high maintenance” variety as it has a very long maturation cycle and the bunch is so compact that it suffers from diseases easily.
Bonarda, like a good Argentine, goes perfect with meats and pastas with powerful flavors, but even better with intense cheeses, lamb, venison, dishes with mushrooms, truffles, among others.
Foto – Diario Cronista
The space where the bonarda has gained ground the most has been the foreign market. The country that provides the highest FOB value for the bonarda is Ireland, with 31.86% of exports. In second place is the United Kingdom (14.52%), followed by the United States (9.18%), Brazil (9%), Canada (5.85%), Paraguay (4.31%), Germany ( 3.13%), Colombia (2.97%) and Uruguay (2.74%). Meanwhile, the country where more liters are sold is Canada (19.93%), although it is also where you pay the least per liter.
Lost Valley Argentina / Bulk Wine *
January 2023 *