A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending an event at City Winery exploring the flavors of Susana Balbo’s wines. Susana was the first woman in Argentina to receive her degree in enology (the science of winemaking). She’s been a trailblazing woman in the industry ever since. She’s also from the same region as my mom, so the event felt very personal to me.
During the event we sorted grapes fresh from Mendoza and learned about the winemaking process behind the scenes in the City Winery’s production room. Then we had a go at making our own wine blends by pairing a few different Balbo wines together to create new flavors. And, of course, there was plenty of sampling along the way.
I’ve always enjoyed Malbec wines but I never knew much about them. It was fascinating to learn how different grapes picked at different times can result in a completely different wine. During the afternoon we also munched on classic dishes like dulce de leche and flank steak with chimichurri sauce.
One thing’s for sure, I definitely know which vineyard will be my first stop in Argentina!