The 41st Annual Conference of the Society of Wine Educators (SWE), held in Oregon, USA, brought together industry representatives in 60 conferences and seminars on wine around the world.

Martin Kaiser, Viticulturist at Doña Paula, held one of the sessions of the Conference, entitled “Uco Valley- Terroir in Focus: An In-depth Look to its Diverse Soils”. During the talk, he revealed the discoveries of the study that has led to more than 1,000 trial pits and 500 microvinifications, accounting for the influence of the soil in the production of Malbec, maintaining the same conditions of harvesting, vineyard management and vinification techniques.

Through a tasting of six experimental wines of different soil types, along with the wines Doña Paula Parcel Alluvia and Doña Paula Parcel Los Indios, the attendees were able to appreciate the main effects of the terroir in the Argentine Malbec:

• Terroir has a major effects in argentinean Malbecs.
• Climate, especially temperature, is important for flavors.
• Soil also affects flavor on Malbec wines.
• Deep sandy-loam soils present intense fruit flavors.
• Herbal and white pepper flavors appear in stony soils.
• High content of calcium carbonate relates with higher concentration in tannins, body, floral and blackberry flavors.
• Minerality, asociated with inky flavors and a chalky mouth feeling, is characteristic of high calcaire content soils.