My wino friends, like @MegandMerlot, always inspire me to try to varietals and expand my palate (she has tried nearly 100 grape varieties). So the last time I visited Total Wine & More, I asked one of my friends there to help me do some exploring. One of the many wines he pulled out for me (I gave him a lot of different criteria) was Phebus Torrontés 2017. Upon opening it, I realized that the bottle was the perfect pairing for my new backsplash—it was meant to be.

Torrontés is a white Argentine wine grape variety, producing fresh, aromatic wines with moderate acidity, smooth texture and mouthfeel as well as distinctive peach and apricot aromas on the nose. Three Torrontés varieties exist in Argentina: Torrontés Riojano, the most common, Torrontés Sanjuanino, and Torrontés Mendocino. It is primarily Torrontés Riojano that has received attention for the quality of its wines, and is the variety used for most Argentine wines simply labeled Torrontés.

This wine comes from Mendoza, Argentina and is produced by the multi award-winning winery of Fabre Montmayou, which was founded in the early 1990’s by winemaker Hervé Joyaux Fabre when he moved to Argentina from his native Bordeaux. He was one of the first foreigners to recognize the potential of Argentina.

The wine is light yellow in color and has an aroma of white flowers, minerals, and lemons. It sticks to the glass, but doesn’t have very defined legs. It tastes fresh and lively with notes of citrus, peach, green apple, and pear. It has a nice acidity and dryness to it. I had some charcuterie with it (I swear, I eat other things), since I got home late and that was the easiest thing to prepare. I wish I had tried it with seafood or spicy Asian food instead, but you can’t always get what you want. You can find it at Total Wine for $10.99, which makes it an amazing value. This is a perfect wine for summer, especially if you lean towards Sauvignon Blanc. Looking forward to checking out the rest of the recommendations. 4/5. Cheers!