South Africa’s vineyards (pictured) produce a wide range of fi ne wines.
Southern Hemisphere Wines Head in the Right Direction
Food-friendly fl avors and good values are bringing a quartet of regions to the forefront. By Johnny D. Boggs
I
t might sound easy to sum up Southern Hemisphere wines with one word: malbec. Certainly, this big red wine from Argentina is surging its way
onto more wine lists, but chefs, beverage directors and sommeliers across the United States are discovering that other wines from south of the equator can also be tasty and profi table. “I think the appeal Southern Hemisphere wines have is that
people can get a sense of origin,” says Mary Melton, director of beverage for Scottsdale, Arizona-based P.F. Chang’s, an upscale-casual Asian bistro with 201 locations that stock 47 wines ranging from $5 to $14 for seven ounce pours, with about four of those wines coming from Argentina and Australia. Australian shiraz...South African chenin blanc...Chilean
carménère. Some might require a hand-sell, but as George Miliotes, director of beverage and hospitality for Orlando, Florida-based Seasons 52 restaurants, “Th ere is great interest in the United States in learning about wine [from these areas].” Seasons 52’s 16 locations concentrate on seasonal and fresh food and stock 100 wines, including 60 by the glass priced from
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$6 to $18 for six ounce pours, with about 18 of those wines coming from Argentina, Australia, Chile and South Africa. In the southern hemisphere, Argentina is the big player.
According to the Washington D.C.-based DISCUS, Argentine imports rose almost 3,000 gallons in 2010 over 2009, while Australia saw a decline of almost 6,800 gallons. Yet overall, operators say that Southern Hemisphere wines are growing in popularity: and for good reasons. “You can almost see the sun beating down on a Chilean
vineyard when you talk about the wine,” Melton says. “It feels like it has more roots. Plus the fact the fl avors tend to be big and powerful and don’t forget the great value.”
ARGENTINA Everywhere you look, malbec tends to be doing well. At
P.F. Chang’s, the Catena Zapata Alamos Malbec does so well, “It’s a little workhorse,” Melton says, adding that the chain is considering adding another malbec to the list as the New World fruit fl avors and mild tannins are so appealing.
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