Bonarda is the second most cultivated red grape in Argentina after Malbec. But it is still a mysterious grape variety. It is thought that Bonarda was brought to Argentina by Italian immigrants in the 19^th century. Yet, it is not known whether the Bonarda grown in Argentina is actually Bonarda from Italy, or the grape Corveau Noir grown from Southern France, as claimed by some experts. No matter where it comes from, the truth is that this is a grape varietal that produces low tannin, food-friendly wines.

I carried out a short inquire about Bonarda to some of the servers that work in our tasting room and to some clients that were enjoying of a glass of wine in a freezing day (snowing by the way!)

“When you hear Bonarda, what does it make you think of?” And I got the following answers:

Red wine – the second emblematic Argentinean varietal – spicy & fruit-forward – easy to drink – medium bodied – young wine – not very expensive –wild -  potential to explore – Italian grape- no idea.. is it a wine?


As you can see, the reactions were varied. I agree with most of the comments but I highlight one of them; potential to explore. It is a grape that despite of its important presence in Argentina, it has been used to make mostly table wine. Yet, in the last couple of years, we have witnessed that doing a right vineyard management; we can obtain a unique and interesting wine. I believe in the future of Bonarda, I believe we can make really nice wines out of it… we just need to continue exploring the way to make it better and better.

I invite you to discover this grape variety with Durigutti Bonarda 2006.
2006 Durigutti Bonarda certainly fit this profile. It is deep ruby red with blackish hues. It has tasty aromas of blackberries, plum marmalade and leather. Once the wine is in your mouth, you encounter again the black fruit in flavor and low levels of smooth tannin with a mineral character in its finish. This is an easy-to-drink distinctive red than can match perfectly with a summer barbeque!
We are featuring this wine in our Acequia Wine Club or you can order it from our On Line Store.

Cheers!