Bonarda

Also: Douce Noir · Corbeau · Charbono

Argentine Bonarda is actually the French Douce Noir (also called Corbeau) — one of those grapes that naturalizes so well in a new world that it ends up defining it. It's the second most planted red variety in Argentina, historically linked to everyday table wine and daily drinking, but over the last two decades it's experiencing a notable revaluation. Vigorous and late-ripening, it thrives in warm climates with good sun exposure, like eastern Mendoza and San Juan. Its thick skin brings plenty of color, but the tannins stay approachable, making it a generous and easy-drinking grape. It ranges from young, fresh styles — ideal with carbonic maceration — to old-vine wines with oak aging that surprise with their complexity and aging potential. It's the grape that best represents everyday Argentine wine: the one with Friday pizza, Sunday asado, the one on the table without pretense but always delivers.