Bonarda is one of Argentina’s most planted grape varieties, with an impressive 18,500 hectares under vine. However, the widely planted Bonarda grape variety is notoriously tricky, both in the vineyard and in the winery, which is why it has almost completely disappeared from its native Savoie region in France (where it is known as Douce Noir). Its demise in France and Italy is due to these challenges, although with greater expertise in how to handle the variety it is beginning to see a renaissance as a quality grape variety beyond Argentina.
We got together with one of Argentina’s most experienced Bonarda winemakers to get the full insider’s guide to Bonarda as a grape variety: how it performs in the vineyard, the winery and eventually the wine glass!
Read on for our technical interview with Roberto González from Nieto Senetiner, who describes Bonarda in the vineyard (including its yield, canopy, ripening cycle), in the winery and in the wine glass. We also look at the key wine regions for Bonarda in Argentina.
A winemaker’s guide to Argentina’s Bonarda grape variety
Bonarda grape leaf & bunches @NietoSenetiner
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- Read more on Bonarda over at our sister-publication South America Wine Guide
