Financial Times 03.7.2020

42 FT.COM/MAGAZINEMARCH7/82 020

◀sumptuouswhenripenedinthe

AndeanfoothillsthaninCahors,its

homeland–theArgentinesclaim

theirplantmaterialismucholder

andbetterquality–sodoesthe

signature redgrapeoftheLoire.

Whiletherearealsogood

CabernetSauvignons, thebest

CabernetFrancscombineArgentine

ripenesswiththesortofbeautifully

hauntingfragranceIalwaysseek

inLoirereds, tooofteninvain.

Meanwhile,Argentine

PetitVerdotreachesqualitative

heightswithaconsistency

thatwouldbetheenvyofany

Médocchâteauowner.

OldvinesAnotherofArgentina’s

unusualattributesisitsstockofold

vines:nearly30percentofvines

aremorethan40yearsold.Itisnot

theonlycountrywhereambitious,

youngerwineproducersareseeking

outold,sometimesunwanted,vines

withwhichtomaketheirname.

ThesameistrueinCalifornia,

Australia,ChileandSouthAfrica.

ButArgentinaisunusualinthe

scopeofitsofficialrecords. INTA

(InstitutoNacionaldeTecnología

Agropecuaria)notonlylistsevery

vineyardwithvarietiesanddatesof

planting,italsooverseesanursery

ofasmanyas700differentgrape

varieties, mostofthembased

on19th-centuryplantmaterial,

whichcouldhelpexpandthe

world’sviticulturalbiodiversity.

LabellingWhenIfirstvisited

Argentinaintheearly 1990s,

thewineswereprettybad–too

oftenoxidisedsyrups–andthe

labelsevenworse.Todaythere

aremyriadclever, eye-catching

designsandwittynames.

TourismHugeinvestmentin

winetourismhasledtoarangeof

stylishaccommodation,oftenwith

breathtakingviewsoftheAndes.

Anditcanseemasifeverywinery

hasitsownrestaurant.Thisis

despitethefactthat,toreachthem,

youhavetodriveformilesonthe

bumpiestroadsandgetpastthe

inevitablyobstructivegatekeeper.

BAD

BottlesUnfortunately, Argentine

wineproducersdon’t seem

tohavegotthememoabout

howbadthick,heavybottles

arefortheenvironment.

Thismightbebecausetheirmain

exportmarketistheUS,where

someimportersregardaheavy

bottleasanessentialpartofthe

package.(Iheardmorethanonce

thatitisAmericanimportersand

distributorsratherthanconsumers

whoaredemandingthem.)Itis

allthemoreregrettablesinceso

manyArgentinewineproducers

importfancybottlesfromEurope.

Ihopetheycanagreetousethe

standard,lighterbottlesproduced

inArgentina.Labelsaresogood

thesedaysthattheycansurely

offersufficientdifferentiation.

Butperhapsthat’shypocritical,

comingfromsomeonewho

tookalongflightinorderto

makesuchobservations.

Morecolumnsatft.com/

jancis-robinson

Iwasbornandraisedin CosenzainsouthernItaly,wheremytwobig

passionswere playingfootballandmakingfood.WheneverIreturnhome,

these aretheplacesIgobackto timeaftertime.

—RistoranteAgoràis runbyMicheleRizzo,whowasaprotégéof mine

manyyears ago.LocatedinRende,itis thebest fishrestaurantin

Cosenza. ThemenuchangesdailybutIwouldrecommendthetagliolini

all’aragosta–freshlymadepastawithlobster–iftheyhaveit.

—IlVicolettois aquaintrestaurantnear PiazzaBilotti, whichserves

traditional Calabrianfood.Notable dishesincludebaccalà(codfish

cookedin atomatoandolivesauce,aboveleft) andtunasteakwith

Tropeaonion.Theserviceis exceptionalandso is thewinelist.Every time

Igo, it feelslikeI’mat home.

—Tuckedbehindtheduomo,Caffè Renzellihasbeenrunbythesame

familysincetheearly19th century. Formanylocals,it’saninstitution.It’s

alsothebest placeforyourmorningcoffee,postprandialgelatoand

eveningaperitivo.

—YoumustnevervisitanyItaliantownandnotsampleitsbest gelato.

Here,youwillfinditatZo rroin theold town.Try thenocciola–itis,

withoutdoubt,thebest hazelnutgelatoin southernItaly.

—Forthefinest Negroni(aboveright)in town,gotoLa Bodega.It’srun

byRoberto Gulino,aborn-and-bredCalabrianandmasterof mixology.

Francesco Mazzeiischef-patron of Sartoria on Savile Row,Radiciin

Islington and Fiume at BatterseaPower Station. sartoria-restaurant.co.uk

MY ADDRESSES

—COSENZA,CALABRIA

FRANCESCOMAZZEI,CHEF