The quality of Argentina\u2019s white wine has risen dramatically in recent years, thinks Laurie Webster, CEO of Las Bodegas.
\nSpeaking to the drinks business he said: \u201cArgentina has turned a corner with white wines. Three or four years ago I wouldn\u2019t have thought about importing Argentine Sauvignon because I didn\u2019t think the wines were able to compete with the likes of Chile and New Zealand.
\n\u201cBut there\u2019s been a big uplift in quality and we\u2019re seeing both personality and regionality in the wines.\u201d
\nOut of 30 wines that Webster has added to his range for this year, 11 are white and include Sauvignon Blanc, Fiano, Chardonnay, Torront\u00e9s and Viognier.
\nWebster said he wasn\u2019t \u201cflying the flag for other varieties\u201d coming out of Argentina but rather, \u201cI think what we have here is representative of what\u2019s going on in the country. It\u2019s a statement of what\u2019s happening.\u201d
\nOn the subject of Argentina\u2019s pricing, Webster stated that it was more important that Argentina kept its value up and he said he would \u201csacrifice volume for style and quality\u201d quite happily.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve given up trying to source cheap wines from Argentina because either they don\u2019t exist or they\u2019re terrible,\u201d he continued.
\n\u201cMy model is New Zealand. With the exception of a little wobble a couple of years ago they\u2019ve managed their \u2018brand\u2019 admirably.
\nArgentina has the second highest price per bottle in the UK (after New Zealand) and it\u2019s the reason Argentina is not really on supermarket shelves let\u2019s be honest. And I don\u2019t think it ever will be.\u201d
\nFor more on Argentina\u2019s white wines, see the February issue of db.<\/p>\n