Annually, World’s Best Vineyards distinguishes 50 outstanding wineries focusing on which are the main ones to know, while its Top 100 highlights the most interesting experiences that visitors can access in the different wine regions of the world. With an unprecedented ceremony, held for the first time outside the city of London since its inception, the revealing of the World’s Best Vineyards 2022 list in Mendoza was only fitting as the first inductee into the Hall of Fame was from the region. The selection of the Top 50 bodegas began on October 24, 2022 with the arrival of the 60 jurors of different nationalities, tasked with adjudicating the final placements of the World’s Best Vineyards 2022.

The 2022 edition of the event was hosted at Piedra Infinita Estate in Valle de Uco by Zuccardi Wines who were also inducted into the Hall of Fame. With support from Mendoza’s Ministry of Tourism & Culture, the 2022 World’s Best Vineyards were unveiled on October 26, 2022 to more than 200 journalists and experts representing the world of wine from over 30 countries. Five bodegas from Argentina that made it into the Top100, when the winners placing 51-100 were announced on October 21, 2022, were featured two weeks ago in Thursday Food. They are Matías Riccitelli/Riccitelli Wines at #55, Bodega Colomé at #61, Bodega Súper Uco at #64, Bodega El Esteco at #72 and Bodega Kaiken at #83. In today’s Thursday Food, we feature the remaining five bodegas that made the list, including the multiple winner of World’s Best Vineyard which was the first to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. we will also be featuring sparkling creations or Espumantes from four of the five bodegas making the World’s Best Vineyards Top 50, along with a Chardonnay from the fifth.

Hall of Fame inductee Bodega Familia Zuccardi, a family business founded in 1963 by Engineer Alberto Zuccardi, is known globally for their production of great wines and olive oils which reach more than 60 countries on five continents. This bodega has the distinction of being the first-ever Hall of Fame inductee, a distinction earned for having obtained first place in the ranking at the three previous editions (2019, 2020 and 2021). Their signature Espumante, Zuccardi Blanc De Blanc, is one of the country’s best sparkling varieties produced using the traditional method from 100 per cent Chardonnay grapes. Intense and sophisticated, this wine is greenish yellow in colour, presenting a constant fine and continuous chain of bubbles. It is complex with notes of honey, white fruit, typical of Chardonnay from Tupungato, toasted bread, butter and sponge cake. In the mouth, honey notes are present again, combining with cereal notes for a balanced, fatty, fresh and pronounced finish. A truly elegant sparkling wine with a delicate sensation of creaminess when combined with the aromas of white fruits.

#9 Bodega Catena Zapata was founded in 1902 and is known for its pioneering role in resurrecting Malbec as well as discovering extreme high altitude terroirs in the Andean foothills of Mendoza. The family’s Adrianna Vineyard at almost 5,000 feet elevation has been called the Grand Cru of South America. Since the first Malbec vineyard planting by founder Nicola Catena over a hundred years ago, the wines of Bodega Catena Zapata have become a global favourite with grapes from six historic estate vineyards: Angélica, La Pirámide, Nicasia, Domingo, Adrianna and Angélica Sur. Nicasia Vineyards Doux is a young sparkling wine made from 60 per cent Chardonnay, 25 per cent Pinot Noir and 15 per cent Moscatel de Alejandria. It has a pale yellow color, expressing delicate notes of fresh white flowers and peach fruit on the nose. On the palate, it is crisp and clean with balanced acidity and tiny, persistent bubbles.

#17 Bodega Trapiche was founded in 1883 and with more than 130 years of experience, is internationally recognised for its incessant search for innovation and the highest standards in the world of viticulture. One of the oldest wineries in Mendoza, Argentina, they have been one of the bodegas at the forefront of bringing wines from this region to the world. They are currently located in Coquimbito, Maipú in one of the most beautiful wineries, inaugurated in 1912, that Mendoza has to offer. Trapiche Brut Nature is a sparkling wine comprising 70 per cent Chardonnay, 20 per cent Semillon and 10 per cent Malbec. It is a soft yellow espumante with green reflections, characterised by its fine and persistent bubbles. Its intense aroma and flavours are reminiscent of toasted bread as well as ripe fruit, while on the palate, it presents a balanced finish.

#21 Bodega El Enemigo, located in Mendoza, Argentina, is a project by a winemaker, Alejandro Vigil, and a historian, Adrianna Catena who share a love of wine and reach back in time to capture the era when European immigrants first settled in Argentina. El Enemigo is produced at Piedemonte al Sur, located in the southern foothills of Maipu, Mendoza, a facility named for the unique aspect of the high-altitude winemaking region nestled in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. El Enemigo Chardonnay 2019 is made of 100 per cent Chardonnay and is sourced from superb vineyards in Mendoza’s Gualtallary sub-region which sit at 1,400-1,500 metres above sea level. This characterful Chardonnay has striking notes of bitter almonds and dried fruit along with ripe tropical fruit notes from the grape variety itself. On the palate there are savoury notes of cream and toasted nuts along with peach and apricot which linger long on the tongue.

#25 Bodegas Salentein, located in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, is fulfilling its objective of producing wines of the highest quality, committed to the land in which they are born. In fact, its bodega sits at an altitude of 1,200 metres, right in the centre of the vineyards, which also includes more than 49 hectares of native desert habitat that were preserved, and are part of the everyday landscape of the winery. The magnificent wine cellar was designed with two aspects in mind: form and function. In the first, stainless steel tanks and French oak vats allow fermentation and storage while in the underground level, the wine is aged in oak barrels. Salentein Brut Rosé is an espumante with a delicate bright pink colour. It has an intense aroma of cherries and raspberries on the nose, typical of Pinot Noir from high altitude areas. In the mouth, the wine is broad, fruity and fresh with fine, persistent bubbles.

Argentina’s wine industry continues to prove its worthiness in the international market. From unprecedented medal hauls at global wine awards events, to earning four Top 50 spots and nine overall at the unveiling of the 2022 World’s Best Vineyards list, including the first-ever Hall Of Fame Award, the country’s wine industry is poised for even greater success in 2023. Vinophiles the world over should look to Argentina as the next must-visit region for the very best varietals and wine experiences. Salud!