2005 Susana Balbo Malbec - IntoWineTV Episode 30

In this episode of IntoWineTV, host Lisa Kolenda and wine experts Bartholomew Broadbent and Pamela Busch convene at San Francisco's CAV Wine Bar and Kitchen for a blind tasting and discussion of 24 different wines made by women.

Theme: Wines by Women. In this tasting IntoWine is featuring wines from producers where either the winemaker or the owner/founder is a woman.

Wine: 2005 Susana Balbo Malbec $28.

Buy Susana Balbo Malbec

Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal: 90% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol %: 14%

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Spotlight on: Susana Balbo, Winemaker, Owner
In a country dominated by male winemakers, Susana Balbo stands out not only for her gender, but for her incredible skill and experience. She has been making wine since she earned her enology degree in 1981, and she has probably produced a wider variety of wines than any other winemaker in Argentina. Susana was the first Argentine winemaker to be hired as a consultant to make wine outside of Argentina. She has made wine in Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, South Africa, and Spain, and she spends a month each year in a different wine region of the world studying with local winemakers and growers.

After twenty years of producing wines for others, Susana decided it was time to apply her education and experience to her own wines and put her name right on the bottle. Susana strives for balance in her wines, with layers of complexity coming from the individually fermented varietals. She wants people who drink her wines to feel that every sip from the glass is as exciting as the first.

The label features figurines from a silver Huarpe Indian necklace that Susana owns. The figures represent women’s reproductive role as the connection between the past, present, and future. She considers her role as winemaker to be the connection between the vineyards (past), the winemaking (present), and the finished wines (future).

Her current releases are: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Brioso which means "tenacity or strength of spirit", and it is the adjective most often used by Susana’s close friends to describe both herself and her passion for make great wines.

Experts:

Bartholomew Broadbent, CEO of Broadbent Selections. Bartholomew was named as one of the "fifty most influential people in the wine world" by Decanter Magazine. He is also widely considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on Port and Madeira. Learn more about Bartholomew Broadbent.

Pamela Busch, Co-Owner and Wine Director at CAV Wine Bar & Kitchen in San Francisco. Learn more about Pamela Busch.