Tori Haysom: From NZ to South America – My Wine Journey So Far
- Tori Haysom
Tori Haysom
Kiwi born and bred, however with an international twist, my sister and I were brought up by two very social, food, wine and travel-loving parents. Having an international pilot as our dad meant we were very fortunate to experience the world as part of our childhood. This included Europe adventures and sips of vino along the way.
After working in hospitality, nutrition and food production, I enrolled in Celia Hay’s New Zealand School of Food and Wine for the Certificate in Cookery with the aim of becoming a chef. I do recall Celia’s recommendation to also complete the Professional Wine (Sommelier) programme, to which I politely said, “no thank you” not realising how complex and exciting wine study could be. However, Celia knew something I didn’t, and after just one session in the NZ Certificate in Wine course, included in the Cookery programme, with Joelle Thompson as my Tutor, I was hooked!
This changed my career direction toward the wine industry. I completed the Professional Wine (Sommelier) course which included WSET Level 3. These qualifications lead me to gain work firstly at Glengarry Wines, and for 6 years as Account Manager for wine importer and distributor Dhall and Nash Fine Wines and now the Wine and Guest Experience lead at the newly opened venue The Wine Room, in Freemans Bay. In recent years, I enrolled in the WSET Diploma in Wines with Jane Skilton MW at The NZ School of Wine & Spirits. This is a very thorough and internationally recognised qualification that is tough, but worth pursuing.
This blog is about realising that when you are in pursuit of knowledge and you genuinely want to excel, that wonderful opportunities will come to you.
WSET Marcia Waters Vintner’s Bursary Award
During my WSET Diploma study, I was not aware there were awards for exams and gaining distinction in my Wine Business paper (which helped my confidence that I was in the right career) was enough of a personal achievement that I was proud of. But it turned out that I had also won the Marcia Waters Vintner’s Bursary Award – an Award dedicated to another impressive female Master of Wine sponsored by the Worshipful Vintners Company in England.
After a quick Google, I found that this company is thought of as the ‘Spiritual home’ of Wine Business in England, managing both the quality of wines and wine trading since Medieval times, with a more current focus of maintaining tradition and supporting the Wine Industry.
The Bursary itself simply required that I visit a wine producing region to study it. Being given free rein to choose any wine producing region in the entire world was quite the (fortunate) challenge – as it would be for any wine enthusiast who has studied wine and become lost down the rabbit hole… or down the wine trail, more fittingly.
In the end I chose Mendoza, Argentina as my main wine region - This was for a few reasons:
1) This was a weak point in my wine knowledge
2) March was perfect timing for harvest including great weather
3) South America was a continent that I had not yet set foot in.
I quickly realised the only direct flights from New Zealand to South America were to Santiago, Chile – so I couldn’t help but take the opportunity to visit both Chile and Argentina. Luckily upon reviewing my wine maps, I noticed just how close Santiago and Mendoza are.
Mendoza in March
Due to many harvest events being held at the beginning of March in Mendoza, I decided to start in Argentina and come back to Chile. I was told by local contacts there is a stunning crossing over the Andes and that I should go by road one way and by plane the other to get the best of both worlds.
Taking this advice, I took an 8-hour double-decker bus ride across the border. This included famous pin turns around precarious roads in a top floor corner window seat with panoramic views that was highly (but also cautiously) recommended online. Aside from mild vertigo, the bus ride gave me an immediate perspective of the beauty and sheer size of this mountain range. A helpful perspective given the Andes not only provide water to the vineyards in the form of snow melt, but they also provide many different altitudes which affect the style of wine produced.
Mendoza, I learned, has sub regions in four of five Winkler scale divisions due to this! There is also a diversity of soils due to the Andes formation as well as alluvial fans other volcanic activity.
View from the bus ride, Santiago - Mendoza (Chilean Side)
Border Crossing Argentina - Chile
View from the bus ride, Santiago - Mendoza (Argentinian Side)
Being a country with tough import laws for wine, about 90% of wine I could find on a shelf or in a restaurant seemed to be from Argentina. Aside from the tourism aspect, it seems that wineries in Argentina have adapted by creating wines both from international and unique local varieties, managing to fill whole wine lists - including the whites section!
In New Zealand, at least, it is hard to find Argentinian wine that is not Malbec, and you can only sometimes find Torrontés. I had no idea Bonarda was a major red grape variety in Mendoza… and I don’t think that many people have even heard of Criolla Chica. I also did not expect to love their unique expression of Chardonnay that I first tasted at Mascota Vineyards… tropical notes from high altitude UV strength and high sunshine hours but paired with crisp acidity from the massive diurnal shifts. Normally, I tend to associate tropical notes with warmer climates and lower acidity… or higher acidity with cooler climates and more citrus notes. This was just the first of many wine surprises for me on this trip.
Torrontés
Torrontés is the important white grape of Argentina. It was discovered that Torrontés has a unique parentage of Criolla Chica and Muscat de Alexandria, which explains some of the florals and expressiveness on the nose. Susana Balbo, the first female winemaker in Argentina, is a pioneer determined to show that Torrontés can age… including stunning barrel fermented drops. Visiting her winery was the antithesis of a classic Malbec-centric winery. With a focus on whites and innovation - it really shook up my preconceptions about Mendoza.
On that note, one of these ‘parents’ - Criolla Chica - was previously only seen as useful for mass produced cheaper wines. But this native grape, along with Criolla Grande and Cereza, are having a bit of a resurgence locally, particularly in more wine focused bars and restaurants. It is reminiscent of the resurgence Gamay noir has had, having previously been pigeonholed into being known for the ‘Beaujolais Nouveau’ style due to its rapid success.
The creativity in Mendoza doesn’t stop there, for example I had a Blanc de noirs Petit Verdot Pet Nat at Alpamanta and I tried ‘Apuntes Naranja’ from barrel, an orange wine made from Gewürztraminer and Viognier at Luigi Bosca.
Winery Susana Balbo with Carolina Tonnelier my Private Wine Tour Guide in Mendoza, Argentina.
Criolla Pet Nat & Blanc de noirs Petit Verdot Pet Nat in Alpamanta Winery’s tasting room
Tasting ‘Apuntes Naranja’ Orange wine from Barrel at Luigi Bosca Winery, Luján de Cuyo
Due to low disease pressure from a dry and warm continental climate, the organic and biodynamic scene is also thriving, including the movers and shakers Krontiras and Alpamanta, and most other wineries are at least low intervention. This region also has the good fortune of not yet having Phylloxera. This meant that finding old vines on their own roots was a normal sight.
It was particularly exciting for me to see at Lagarde. the first ever Viognier vineyard planted in Argentina over 100 years ago that is 100% planted on its own roots in the original wine region of Luján de Cuyo. At Lagarde they honour the vineyard by maintaining it using the technique of 'Layering', using the ancient technique of planting the cane underground until it establishes its own roots – visually seeing this rather than in a textbook was a special moment and I felt a bit like I went back in time.
Biodynamic Dynamising equipment at Alpamanta Winery
Llama and water reservoir at Krontiras Winery, Luján de Cuyo
Viognier vines on own roots and at Lagarde Winery Luján de Cuyo
Malbec
Even though I am wanting to illustrate how Mendoza makes more than just Malbec, it's worth noting that it is of course a very important variety to Mendoza, and there's a lot more to it than the 'old school' classic examples generally associated with it. I experienced this through learning about the Uco Valley’s up-and-coming wine regions, particularly the Gualtallary GI in Tupungato. One of my favourite days was with Catena Zapata at the Adrianna vineyard here.
Tasting these three Catena Zapata 100% Malbec wines ‘Mundus Bacillus’, ‘River Stones’ and ‘Fortuna Terrae’ amongst the vines that they came from, just metres apart from each other, in the same vineyard was mind blowing. It really was reminiscent of what most people talk about when they experience Burgundy…Tasting the grapes, then the wine, jumping into soil pits with the Andes as a backdrop was a dream wine tasting that I will never forget.
View of Tupungato Volcano on the way to the Adrianna Vineyard of Catena Zapata.
Adrianna Vineyard, 'Fortuna Terrae' Vines, Gualtallary, Uco Valley
Drinking Adrianna Vineyard ‘Mundus Bacillus Terrae’ Malbec with Export Manager Richard Gordon and Agronomist Marco Arena.
With Malbec in mind, I also learned a lot about the history of Mendoza as a wine region through visits to some of the oldest family-owned vineyards in Luján de Cuyo – Lagarde and Luigi Bosca. I learned about the very recent changes to the Malbec-only DOC Luján de Cuyo, which both wineries have been instrumental in driving. Seven further districts that can now be added to a wine label to further specify the terroir the wine has come from, ‘Agrelo’ and ‘Las Compuertas’ being the two that I became most familiar with. These efforts are made to protect and communicate the varying styles of Malbec that can be produced. Malbec is not a single style wine, even within one DOC.
Barrel room at Luigi Bosca, Luján de Cuyo
Wine picnic at Luigi Bosca, Luján de Cuyo Wine tourism venue
Wine Tasting with Winemaker at Lagarde Winery, Luján de Cuyo
Aside from wine tastings, winery and vineyard visits I also timed my visit with La Fiesta de la Vendimia, ‘the harvest party’. This was an incredibly colourful and loud week of road parades, live shows and general liveliness of the city.
Anyone going to Mendoza in March must attend - It was a feast for the eyes and ears. The whole experience was a feast for my nose and palate, too.
Street parade for Fiesta de la Vendimia
Fiesta de la Vendimia theatrical production and concert.
Dionisias Wine Fair for Women in Wine Trade Event with Belén Rodriquez from Luigi Bosca, winemaker of ‘La Linda’ Wines
Click here to read about Chile.
Follow Tori Haysom on Instagram @the.inventori.