Winery of the Year: Familia Zuccardi
There are many reasons why I am selecting Familia Zuccardi as my choice for winery of the year. It is one of the oldest of Argentina’s modern wineries, having been founded in 1963 by Alberto V. Zuccardi. It is family owned and run, with the founder’s son, Jose Alberto Zuccardi at the helm today (Jose’s son, 
Sebastian, has recently joined the firm as well, and is producing some fine and innovative sparkling wines, most notably an intriguing Viognier espumante). Zuccardi is an innovative establishment, willing to experiment with a variety of different grapes including Tempranillo, Sangiovese, and other varietals not necessarily commonplace in Argentina. Zuccardi has established a small experimental winery where trials of different varietals and vinification techniques are tested.
This is definitely a winery that prides itself on thinking outside the box (how many other Argentina producers are making a late harvest Torrontes?) In a part of the world where water supply is an important issue, it has developed an irrigation system 
designed to use water more efficiently than the usual drip irrigation method. Kudos too for shifting many of its vineyards to organic viticulture: to date, more than 30% of the total 650 hectares (1600 acres) are certified organic. And credit as well to a philosophy that encourages the use of human rather than machine labor when possible (the winery’s permanent employees number more than 450 people). Not all of the innovations, research and experiments are successful of course, but I think plenty of praise is due Zuccardi for its willingness to try and identify the best and most appropriate grapes for the region, and to strive to develop the best winemaking techniques. Indeed, better and better wines are emerging every year, most of which are distinguished by good structure and shining fruit flavors. There are three different labels: Familia Zuccardi ‘Q’, Santa Julia, and Vida Organica (a Whole Foods line).
Zuccardi is a notably hospitable winery. Located on the outskirts of Mendoza, it encourages visitors to come taste the wines and enjoy the restaurant. When I first visited a few years ago there was nothing more than a modest tasting room where a few 
snacks were served with the wines. Today this establishment is a must-see (and must taste) destination, which in addition to a top-notch restaurant, hosts regular concerts, exhibitions of local artists’ work and, during the summer months, a classic Argentine asado (barbecue). The charming Familia Zuccardi restaurant, with its rustic stone walls and picture windows framing the vineyards, dishes up some of the most flavorful food to be found in these parts, including exemplary empanadas (meat, onion or cheese), as well as the best steaks I’ve yet been served in this meat-centric country.
Wine of the Year: Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz 2004
As I did a mental review of all the wonderful wines I’ve been privileged to taste this year I came up with a few contenders that I might consider for the label of ‘best wine’, a couple that could 
qualify as ‘most exciting surprises,’ and even one or two ‘classiest’ wines of the year. But one wine that kept persistently jogging my memory–and one that fits into a category all by itself–was St. Henri Shiraz. This probably isn’t the most dazzling wine I’ve tasted this year, or the flashiest, or the most commendable newcomer or venerable stalwart, but for my palate, this Penfolds selection may be the most evocative wine I’ve tasted this year.
I’ve encountered St. Henri a very few times in 2008, but each time–whatever the setting, whichever the vintage–I get an instant sense of comfort the moment I bring glass to nose and experience a whiff of that intense, dark, mysterious bouquet of spices and dried fruits (ginger, lavender, cherries, currants–all the finest fruitcake ingredients). When the wine hits the palate it is invariably ripe and round without being highly extracted or distractingly concentrated. St. Henri abounds with vitality, yet there is also something entirely mellow and reassuring about it, like an old friend with whom one feels instantly at ease. St. Henri does not try to impress you by being exceptionally trendy or sophisticated. In its youth it is endearingly chubby, and as it ages it becomes more ample (but always in balance) and more complex. Unlike most of its peers (i.e. other high-end Aussie reds) St. Henri does not rely on new oak for its character, having been matured in old, large vats rather than new wood. The wine is certainly an anomaly–do not think of it as Grange’s little brother–but that is part of its charm.
My most recent encounter with St. Henri occurred late this past fall at a Penfolds wine dinner being held at Zinnia, a chic, new San Francisco restaurant, where the 1991 vintage was served 
with a confit of lamb cheeks. It was a stunning pairing, but was St. Henri really the best wine of the evening–better than the Penfolds Bin 707, better than the Grange? Certainly not. But for me, it was the friendliest wine at the table, the one that demanded less intellectual contemplation, but the one that evoked the most immediate visceral reaction. St. Henri continues to be what pops into my head when I try to conjure up the most memorable wine of 2008.
7