The Wine Fairy

Last night, my ass was in class for “Exploremos América del Sur” (Let’s Explore South America). This two-hour workshop is occasionally taught at Total Wine and focuses on the wines of Argentina and Chile.

I tasted ten South American wines (four whites and six reds) from Total Wine’s Winery Direct lineup. In this post, I share my tasting notes, a bit of info about the class, and my top picks for quality and value. Total Wine has almost 300 stores in the United States, so it’s very likely this class and these wines are offered somewhere near you.

Here’s Total Wine’s class description:

“Embark on an evening of international delights as we sample and tour our way through some of South America’s best wines. Explore the vibrant culture and rich history of the region’s diverse vineyards while sampling assorted gems from Argentina, Chile and more. From decadent reds to delicate whites, don’t miss your chance to sip and savor an entire continent of delicious wine!”

Sounds great, sign me up! I have a passing familiarity with the grapes of Argentina–I love a spicy Malbec or flowery Torrontés–but the other countries’ wines are newer to me. I thought the class would be a happy opportunity to dig into some lesser-known styles and regions. (The retail cost of this experience is $20. I received two free tickets as a perk of my Grand Reserve Rewards status at Total Wine.)

The Class

I’ve reviewed a couple of Total Wine classes before, and they all follow a similar format: Over the span of a couple of hours, you taste around 7-9 wines that are related in some way. You get some cheese. You get a little booklet. You get a 90-minute lecture/slideshow, during which you can drink wine.

The South America class began with the lay of the land. We learned that South America has the opposite growing season from the Northern Hemisphere and therefore does its harvest six months earlier. (That’s how we’re drinking a 2024 Chardonnay and it’s barely 2025.) We learned that Chile is the skinniest country in the world, if not technically the longest. We learned how geographical features–cool Pacific currents and the Andes mountains, mostly–create unique climates for grapes to thrive in South America.

We honed in on Argentina, where half of the evening’s wines come from. According to Total Wine’s numbers, Argentina is the fifth-largest wine producing country in the world. Its huge wine industry is driven by both strong domestic consumption and the international success of its value-priced bold reds.

(Speaking of which, you wanna know a cool mnemomic for Argentina’s four key wine regions–Mendoza, San Juan, La Rioja, and Salta? Just remember that Malbec Sales Left Rioja Salty. You’re welcome!)

Later, we learned how three oft-spurned grapes of France (Malbec, Carménère, and Tannat) migrated down south to start a new life and did very well for themselves. We began with a sparkling wine, moved on to whites, and ended with a series of South America’s signature hearty vinos tintos.

Total Wine, buying behemoth that they are, has long worked with wineries in Argentina and Chile to make house brands of popular global varieties available at bargain prices. Low labor costs, fertile valleys, and the availability of cheap irrigation make South America especially attractive to high-volume producers. Premium wineries do exist there, of course–but price is really what has helped South America capture the attention of the world market.

The Wines

So, South American wines can mimic European or North American styles–but they have their own terroir markers and often cost less. How did Total Wine’s South American offerings fare in this informal tasting sesh? Let’s find our favorites! (Prices are suggested retail. Total Wine regularly has sales and multi-bottle discounts.)

Alma Brut Sparkling Wine (Brazil) NV – $9.99

Budget bubbles from Brazil. Medium straw color, pronounced aromas of apple, golden pineapple, and white toast. Indistinct florals, orange rind. Palate is dry and cidery with medium acidity, fairly light body, and a bitter finish. Better when it’s not too cold and you get more of the aromatics.

This wine reminded me more than anything of a cheap, flat Cava. Sometimes I’m in the mood for cheap, flat Cava–but usually not. Oh well, it’s ten bucks. It’ll do. Proprietary white blend, reportedly Moscato and Trebbiano. ⭐⭐ (out of 5)

Tidal “Reverse” Sauvignon Blanc (Casablanca Valley, Chile) 2023 – $11.99

Pale lemon color. Boiled asparagus overshadows the tropical fruit on the nose. Passion fruit, bell pepper, river rocks. Some cooked celery, too. Very dry mineral finish without much fruit.

I actually didn’t hate the distinct vegetal aromas on this wine, but my tasting buddy thought it was too stinky to drink-y. The classroom as a whole found the mineral character out of balance. The verdict is in: “Reverse” is only a great Sauv Blanc when it’s Opposite Day. ⭐⭐

“ED” Edmundo Chardonnay (Argentina) 2024 – $12.99

Very neutral on the nose, only a hint of vanilla and pale oak. Medium body and acidity. Creamy with flavors of “pornge” juice (pineapple-orange), dry lumber, bit of cinnamon and cereal milk. It’s a boring Cali-style Chard, honestly–but it’s not overpriced and would certainly be easy to pair with boring chicken and fish dishes. ⭐⭐⭐

El Esteco Torrontés Blend de Extremos (Calchaquí Valleys, Argentina) 2024 – $14.99

Pale yellow with a green tint. Peach, kerosene, rose, honeysuckle, and sweet green grapes on the nose. Medium body, bordering on high acidity. The palate is dry and rather green, with cut floral stems, grapefruit, and perfume of gardenia. Beautiful aromatics that are unfortunately marred by a sharp, fuel-like smell. This would easily have been my favorite of the whites otherwise. ⭐⭐1/2

Koskil Pinot Noir (Patagonia, Argentina) 2022 – $16.99

Hooray, the reds are in the ring! Can the powerhouse of value that is Argentina do the impossible feat and create an under-$20 Pinot that’s worthy of acclaim?

Hailing from Patagonia, Koskil is 100% Pinot Noir and was served (properly) lightly chilled. But it failed to impress any of the Pinot fans in the room. It smells of watery raspberry with a smoky, flinty note. Some vanilla and baking spice. Light body and drying, bitter tannins that stomp all over its delicate flavors. Short on fruit and complexity. ⭐

Cruz Alta Reserve Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) 2023 – $13.99

Vanilla, toasted wood, raspberry/blackberry, poblano pepper, pipe tobacco. 8 months in French and American oak. A reliable value bottle from Total Wine. It’s on par with the Cruz Alta Reserve Cabernet which I reviewed a while back. ⭐⭐⭐

Carmen Gran Reserva Carménère (Colchagua Valley, Chile) 2021 – $17.99

Medium ruby tinged purple. Bushels of green bell pepper and recently stripped tree bark. Wet, under-cured tobacco leaf. Green-tasting and unripe all over, with almost no fruit to speak of.

I braced my mouth for big mean tannins but they’re actually medium, giving a short, prickly and clean finish. Really intense varietal character on this wine. (Also a really intense reminder of why Carménère is usually a blending grape.)

Interesting, but not the kind of thing that most people drink for fun. Aged 14 months in neutral oak.⭐1/2

La Mascota Vineyards “Unánime” Gran Vino Tino (Argentina) 2019 – $25.99

Deep ruby, and it smells just like a nice Left Bank Bordeaux. Makes me wish I could hop in a time machine to experience what red Bordeaux tasted like when it was still frequently made with Malbec. Pronounced black fruits: Blackberry, blackcurrant, clove, chocolate, a little bit of pepper. The palate adds ripe plum (tending toward prune-y), dried cherry, and a mouth-filling texture balanced by good acidity.

The finish is where things falter a bit. The fruit falls off quickly, leaving behind a ghost of cinnamon spice. Overall, a rich and layered blend with subtle oak influence–not bad at all for the price. Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Malbec (25%), Cabernet Franc (15%).

I’ve tasted the “Unánime” Malbecs, Cabs, and Cab-Malbec blends across several vintages and I’ve found them to be consistent values. Around the holidays, Total Wine puts out a gift-boxed trio of the reds (~$75). I never get mad at Santa for leaving one of those suckers under the Yule tree. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Cabernario Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (Maipo Valley, Chile) 2019 – $29.99

Dang, this one’s also pretty good. Certainly the most complex of the bunch. Green pepper, blackberries, Chambord, damp earth. The palate is very dry with restrained fruits including cranberry, unripe cherry and maybe even some tomato. It’s startling how this wine mashes its fruits and vegetables together–like at one of those super-healthy smoothie/juice bars. As I continued to sip on it, I found a lot of interesting spices including nutmeg and allspice. It ends with modest acidity and flavors of smooth, toasty cigar.

Our instructor, Bill, asked us to look for the signature “Maipo Mint” aroma, but I didn’t detect much mintiness in my glass. It does display that wet organic garbage/compost Chilean Cab thing, though. Not a flaw in my book–but take a pass on this wine if you can’t handle the funk-da-funk.

We learned in class that Chile doesn’t have much trouble with phylloxera pests and so is home to some very old Cabernet vines. The Cabernario label proudly states that this wine is made from 100% ungrafted vines on their original rootstocks. I don’t really know what that does for the wine, but it is kind of cool when you think about it. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Pisano “RPF” Tannat (Uruguay) 2021 – $23.99

I usually think of Tannat as being heavy, black, and tannic but this was not that. It’s actually closer to how Tannat is made here in Texas: Red-fruited, savory, and surprisingly approachable.

Medium ruby with sour cherry aromas and a whiff of smoke. Very Tuscan in its profile, with herbal flavors and moderate tannins. Tasty! 100% Tannat. ⭐⭐⭐

Picks and Recommendations

In conclusion, this was a fun, varied tasting session. I learned a lot about South American grapes and terroir in the best way I know how to learn–by drinking! I ended up re-visiting the Carménère and the Torrontés at the end of class because those were the most varietally distinct.

Of all the wines tasted, I thought the Unánime and the Cabernario were the strongest but neither one was quite revelatory. And they also turned out to be the most expensive (go figure). I’d proudly bring either wine to a dinner party, but this time I opted to skip them both. (I have a backlog of red table wines and grilling season is just getting started.)

Instead, I decided to take a recommendation from my most trusted Total Wine beverage expert, Narek. I splurged on a more premium sippin’ Malbec, the Angelica Zapata from Catena. Also, a bottle of Trimbach Gewurztraminer to fill the Torrontés-shaped hole in my heart left by El Esteco.

Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. (Except as a Total Wine rewards program benefit as described above.) Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.