How can Argentina’s native grape hit the big time?

Susana Balbo Winery has been advocating for Torrontés for 25 years, yet is still making discoveries as it brings the grape to a wider audience. Winemaker José Lovaglio Balbo tells db how it can take on the world.

Susana Balbo and José Lovaglio Balbo.

Susana Balbo, in a quarter-century’s work at her eponymous winery, has earned the nickname ‘The Queen of Torrontés’. She remains a central figure in advocating for the native grape, which accounts for around a quarter of the white wine planted in Argentina. At her winery in Mendoza, she has crafted award-winning examples that have helped push Torrontés’ reputation forward as an internationally significant variety.

It is, undeniably, impressive work. But for José Lovaglio Balbo, the company’s winemaking director and – a role with even more pressure – Susana’s son, it means he has much to live up to.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” he admits. “On one hand, her pioneering work with Torrontés created the benchmark that showed the world its potential, which opens doors for everyone who works with the grape today.

”On the other hand, it’s a challenge – the bar is set very high, and it pushes me to reinterpret the variety in new ways, to add my own perspective while respecting that legacy.”

That combination of legacy and innovation is at the heart of Susana Balbo Winery. For José, the path to greater global recognition means recognising the natural charm of Torrontés, while simultaneously expanding its horizons to appeal to wine lovers around the world.

Versed in the classics

In Wine Grapes, Robinson, Harding and Vouillamoz’s great ampelographic tome, Torrontés is described as making “fresh, highly aromatic wines, typically floral and Muscat-like”.

At Susana Balbo Winery – itself namechecked in the entry for driving up quality – the winery’s reputation was built on this recognisable profile. The starting point for any of José’s work, therefore, is growing in terroir that expresses Torrontés’ natural character.

“Torrontés shows its best expression in high-altitude, cool-climate sites, where marked day–night temperature shifts help preserve natural acidity and freshness. Poor, rocky soils — especially sandy or alluvial — are ideal to limit vigor and bring concentration,” he says.

That combination of freshness and concentration, so key to the grape’s appeal, therefore limits the grape’s range. Without the right site, Torrontés may still grow, but it is unlikely to make the fine wine of which it is capable.

“In warmer or more fertile sites,” José explains, “the wines can become broad and lacking precision, with aromatics that feel heavy rather than lifted. In contrast, regions like Altamira or San Pablo in the Uco Valley bring crystalline definition: floral, vibrant, and often with a subtle mineral edge.”

Altamira is a premium sub-region for Torrontés.

Luckily, that style still has good prospects, even in challenging market conditions. White wines are now eclipsing reds in popularity, with success stories like Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio delle Venezie demonstrating the appetite for crisp white wines – a category Torrontés falls straight into.

“For someone used to other grapes,” José comments, “I often say Torrontés can be a gateway between Sauvignon Blanc’s freshness and Gewürztraminer’s exotic perfume.”

You see that style, for instance, in Crios Torrontés, a crisp, aromatic expression from vineyards at 1,015 metres elevation and made in stainless steel. Described as full of citrus, passion fruit, lychee and white flower aromas, it embodies the bright yet flavourful style that drinkers often seek.

Exploring the grape’s capabilities

Having mastered the fundamentals, however, Susana Balbo Winery has developed its Torrontés winemaking well beyond. For José, it has been an oenological discovery.

“For a long time Torrontés was treated as a simple, easy-drinking grape,” he says. “What surprised me was discovering its capacity for refinement and age-worthiness when handled with care: lower yields, gentle pressing, controlled fermentation, and sometimes a bit of lees contact. In certain terroirs, Torrontés can express salinity and structure that I didn’t expect from the grape.”

Torrontés has thus acquired a distinctive, premium identity at the winery, shown in single site selections and more characterful winemaking.

Susana Balbo Signature Barrel Fermented Torrontés goes against the archetype, with winemaking techniques more closely associated with neutral varieties such as Chardonnay. Self-evidently it uses oak, with both fermentation and six months’ ageing taking place in new French barrels. It further deviates from the norm with weekly batonnage. The grape’s natural vibrancy is not lost, but added silky texture and savoury aromas make it a distinctive style.

The Signature Blanco de Gualtallary, meanwhile, demonstrates the virtue of site selection. The high-altitude vineyards – at an elevation of 1,300 metres – which sit on poor calcareous soils lend the wine a vibrant acidity and structure, though wild yeasts and oak ageing steer it clear from the realm of austerity.

Signature Torrontés de Raiz Naranjo – a truly rare expression of the grape.

The shift, indeed, has been a dramatic reworking of José’s winemaking practices, better adapting to the grape’s potential and successfully stretching its capabilities.

“At first, I approached Torrontés as a purely aromatic white – aiming to capture flowers and fruit. Over the years, I’ve shifted toward texture, minerality, and balance.

“Today I harvest earlier, experiment with wild yeast fermentations, and look for parcels that give more tension and less alcohol. The result is wines that are still unmistakably Torrontés, but with a more refined, gastronomic profile.”

Perhaps the zenith of that boundary-pushing is the Signature Torrontés de Raiz Naranjo. It makes use of indigenous yeasts, oak and amphorae, as well as – most distinctively – 10 days’ ageing on the skins.

Its 2022 vintage was named Grand Master at The Global Orange Wine Masters this year, marking it as the finest wine of the competition. Far from the unfair stereotypes of weird, experimental orange wines, Siobhan Turner MW described it as “a stunning wine… refined, elegant and delicious”.

Making the case worldwide

Evidently, those tasting the wines are becoming acolytes, Nonetheless, Torrontés has an Andean mountain to climb to achieve household name status.

“The main barrier is perception,” believes José. “For many consumers, Torrontés is still seen as a simple, aromatic white without depth. At the same time, it doesn’t have the global recognition of Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. Argentina has historically promoted Malbec as its flagship, leaving Torrontés somewhat in the shadows.”

The lesson, perhaps, from Susana Balbo Winery is that a focus on quality and a greater diversity in production can bring drinkers to the grape. José certainly advocates for expanding drinkers’ horizons: “I believe the more we show its versatility – from crisp aperitif wines to gastronomic, terroir-driven expressions – the more people will take notice.”

Most crucially, one should ask how to first capture the budding Torrontés drinker. For that, José has a simple proposition.

“I’d recommend beginning with a high-altitude, dry style that showcases freshness and floral lift. For a pairing, Torrontés is wonderful with ceviche, sushi, or spicy Asian cuisine, where the aromatics and acidity enhance the flavors.”

For all his experimentation, the fact remains that you do not need to push boundaries to discover the grape. From fresh and affordable styles to true fine wines, and running the gamut of winemaking adaptations, Torrontés has more than enough diversity to keep wine lovers coming back for more. Once they are on the path, they may not look back.