Grape variety
Torrontés
Torrontés Riojano: Argentina’s aromatic white, a cross of Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica. Origin, Salta and Cafayate, style and food.
- Colour
- White
- Parentage
- Natural cross of Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica (Listán Prieto), DNA study of 2003
- Main regions
- Mendoza, La Rioja and Salta (Cafayate, Calchaquí Valleys), then San Juan and Catamarca; about 7,000 hectares
- Typical aromas
- Rose petals, geranium, peach, apricot, citrus zest, Muscat
- Classic pairing
- Empanadas, ceviche, pan-fried fish, mildly spicy Asian food
- Varieties of the name
- Torrontés Riojano (about 80 per cent), Sanjuanino, Mendocino; not related to Galicia’s Torrontés
Torrontés is the white grape that best embodies Argentina, as Malbec embodies the red. Almost always Torrontés Riojano is meant: it covers about 7,000 hectares and is, by area, the country’s second most planted white wine grape. Two other varieties carry the name, Torrontés Sanjuanino and Torrontés Mendocino; they are less important and together make up about a fifth of the Torrontés area.
Its parents were long sought in Europe, in vain: no relationship has been established with the Torrontés of Galicia. A DNA study by Agüero and colleagues showed in 2003 that Torrontés Riojano is a natural cross of Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica. Criolla Chica was later identified with Listán Prieto, the variety called País in Chile and Mission in California. Two old vines brought over by the Spanish thus crossed, probably in South America, and the Muscat side is obvious in the glass.
The most famous Torrontés comes from the province of Salta in the north-west, above all from Cafayate, at the southern end of the Calchaquí Valleys. The vines stand at 1,600 metres and above there, far higher than Visperterminen in Valais, which at about 1,150 metres is among Europe’s highest vineyards. Strong sun and cool nights give aromatic, fresh grapes. Surprisingly, the largest area is not in Salta: according to the provisional 2024 figures of Argentina’s wine institute INV, Torrontés Riojano grows mainly in Mendoza (about 3,200 hectares) and La Rioja (about 1,800), with Salta at about 900. The wines from the high sites of the north-west are still the benchmark.
In the glass Torrontés smells sweet and tastes dry: rose petals, geranium, peach, apricot and citrus zest, with a Muscat note that recalls Gewürztraminer. These scents come from terpenes, as in the Muscats. Acidity is moderate, the body medium and the finish can be slightly bitter. Well made, the wine is fresh and fragrant; badly made, it seems clumsy and heavy with alcohol. It is best drunk young and well chilled.
At the table Torrontés lives on its perfume: it goes with empanadas, ceviche and pan-fried fish, mildly spicy Asian food, goat’s cheese and salads. As an aperitif it is an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc for those who like something floral.