Argentina's wine industry has plenty to boast about: huge growth in sales around the world, a reinvigoration of the entire wine tourism sector, and the wonderful wines themselves. But Argentina's wineries are also ahead of the game in one more area: social.
If the best place to meet Argentina's leading wine personalities is next to the parrilla, then the second-best place must be Twitter. Hundreds of winemakers, wine sellers, wine writers, sommeliers, restaurateurs, and more are on Twitter every day discussing the best of Argentine wines. Following them - as we do via @TryArgovino - can almost make you feel like you're passing through the seasons in the Southern Cone along with them.
We want to connect more American consumers with the generous and gregarious people in Argentina's wine industry, which is why we've started giving links to websites and Twitter feeds on our wine pages. (Here's an example.) But to make it even easier, here are some of our favorite Argentine wine personalities on Twitter. Almost all of them tweet in both Spanish and English. Follow them, interact with them, and enjoy!
Gus Attaguile - A wine consultant and professor at Argentina's Wine Institute, where he teaches English for the wine industry, Gus keeps an eye on many of the goings-on in Mendoza.
Enrique Chrabolowsky - A dean of the Argentine wine writers, Enrique is wine editor at Cuisine & Vins and co-author of "Wines of Argentina" with leading winemaker Michel Rolland. What to drink, how to drink, when to drink - ask Enrique!
Leonardo Erazo Lynch - Leonardo is head winemaker at Altos Las Hormigas, and his feed is a combination of news and stream of consciousness. It's a great slice of daily life among the vineyards in Mendoza.
Paz Levinson - One of Argentina's most awarded and most social sommeliers, Paz is a tornado of tasting, judging, and teaching. To see what's new and/or delicious in Argentina, just take a look at the photos in her feed.
Ignacio Lopez - If you want to learn about the day-to-day process of making wine in Argentina, follow Ignacio. He's a winemaker at Etchart in Salta, and he frequently posts fascinating photos of his work: barrel sampling, blending, testing, etc.
Mariana Onofri - The Vines of Mendoza, where Mariana is wine director, has grown from one the first vineyard-ownership schemes in Argentina into a full-scale wine and tourism business. She's at the center of happenings there and at Gimenez Riili and Achaval Ferrer, whose principals are also involved with The Vines.
Sebastian Zuccardi - Third generation of the Zuccardi family, Sebastian (his Twitter profile photo is the one above) is a pioneer in looking for interesting terroir in Mendoza's many microclimates. He's also a great photographer, and his pictures are enough reason to follow his feed.
Wines of Argentina - This isn't just one person, but it is the Argentine wine industry's communications outlet, with news of tastings, awards, and events related to Argentine wines around the world - useful stuff, and mostly in English. Salud!