white grape · regional staple
Torrontés
Argentina
Say it
to·ron·tess
Stress the last syllable -tés.
On the palate
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How you spot it blind: Muscat-like floral nose but the wine is dry and fresh.
The story
Argentina recognizes three distinct Torrontés varieties: Riojano, Sanjuanino and Mendocino. DNA work shows Riojano and Sanjuanino are natural crosses of Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica, while Mendocino likely shares Muscat of Alexandria with an unknown second parent; Argentine Torrontés is distinct from Spanish grapes of similar name. By 2021, most Torrontés Riojano vines were in Mendoza, La Rioja, Salta and San Juan.
Family tree: Muscat of Alexandria × Criolla Chica
Where it lives
Mendoza, Argentina · La Rioja, Argentina · Salta, Argentina · San Juan, Argentina
Shows up as
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