April 2005 : Ay-yi, Ay-yi, zat South American way

Argentina is now the fourth largest wine producer in the world with 15 million hectolitres in a year from 250,000 hectares of vines. The country is huge - almost as large as western Europe - with wonderful cities like Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Mendoza, and is beautifully unspoilt with glorious natural attractions. Not least of which are the Andes Mountains - from the tropical north to the near-antarctic Tierra del Fuego.

Mendoza produces 70% of all Argentinean wines and is almost a desert, with rainfall of 200mm (8 inches) per annum. The yields achieved are only possible with irrigation, and the secret lies in a flood irrigation system developed by the Huarpe Indians well over 500 years ago. They realised that the melting snows of the Andes, if properly controlled, would provide ample water throughout the year to ensure regular harvests. Not exactly rocket science, but very effective! A reservoir is created in the mountains which then feeds through to irrigate the land.

Recent economic difficulties made internal investment in vineyards and wineries very scarce, but there has been huge input from abroad as millions of dollars are available from France, Italy, Spain the US, Britain, Chile and Brazil - plus others - there are now over 40 foreign investors!

The grape varieties are usually French in origin, the main red being Malbec. It has a good dark colour, excellent fruit and high alcohol. The domestic market is around 40 litres per capita. The arrival of new technology and expertise has transformed Malbec wines and the grape has adapted far better to the dry Mendoza conditions than its French habitat of Cahors, where the grape is sensitive to frost, mildew and rot.

The future for Malbec from Mendoza is potentially huge in the global market. Look for this wine in the shops - particular the Reserva.

Happy & Healthy Drinking!
Kenneth Harry Putt

This month's recipe : Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Sautéed Scallops and Chervil

This is a lovely soft soup with delicate flavours, wonderful to serve as a starter with some really fresh fish for a main course, keeping everything simple and light. The scallops are very tasty in this dish. You need to cut each one in half across the width so you should have two smaller rounds as such - serving three halves to each person. This soup will impress your friends, as artichokes are a little unusual and not that commonly used, but taste delicious. Vegetable stock can be substituted for the chicken stock.

Ingredients (for 4 people):

1lb artichokes peeled and put into lemon water
4 'long' shallots or 8 little ones, peeled and chopped finely
Thyme - 2 sprigs
Salt and white pepper
Knob of butter
1 pint of chicken stock
1 pint of milk
6 scallops, cleaned and prepped with the red coral removed
Chervil leaves

Method:

Melt the butter in a pan with the Thyme sprigs, add the shallots and fry gently - softening but not browning (you want the soup to be a wonderful pale colour with no burnt bits in it). Meanwhile, dice the artichokes and drain from the lemon water.

Once the shallots have softened (about 10 mins) you can add the artichokes and cook for a few minutes in the shallot mix. Now add the milk and the stock, season a little, and cook for about 20 minutes until the artichokes are soft.

Let the soup cool for a while and remove the Thyme sprigs. Now place the soup into a blender and blend til smooth - you should sieve it as well to give it a lovely smooth texture. This will not take long but will get rid of any stringy bits that there may be. Taste the soup and add only white pepper, if needed, and salt.

Once you are ready to serve, re-heat the soup gently. In another pan, get another knob of butter melted and really hot. Add the scallops and do not move them about at all (if you do this will cause them to steam and they will not brown). Cook on one side for 30 seconds until brown on the outside and then turn over (again, do not move the scallops or the pan) and cook until brown.

Drain on some kitchen paper. Ladle out the soup and place three scallops in each bowl - they should float! Sprinkle over the leaves of chervil and serve with some really tasty warm bread. Delicious and sophisticated all in one!