1/5
SweetnessDrySweet
The grape archive
Bonarda
Bonarda
Argentina’s second great red identity: supple, juicy and dark-fruited, usually with fresher acidity and softer tannin than Malbec.
Typical flavour register
01Black cherry02Plum03Violet04Pepper05Dried herbs
In the glass
A visual taste profile.
These scales describe a representative dry expression. Climate, harvest date, yields and winemaking can move an individual wine in another direction.
4/5
AciditySoftFresh
3/5
TanninSilkyFirm
4/5
BodyLightFull
4/5
FruitSavouryFruit-led
Where it grows
From origin to the wider vineyard.
The first country is the grape’s principal reference point; the remaining countries show important established cultivation rather than a complete planting census.
Argentina
Core countryMendoza · Uco Valley · Patagonia
Three useful expressions
Fresh & fruit-led
Juicy fruit, moderate extraction and little oak emphasise immediate pleasure.
Classic regional style
The grape’s familiar balance of fruit, structure, spice and place.
Structured & age-worthy
Lower yields, selected sites and careful ageing build concentration and longevity.
Handling
Serve15–18 °C
GlassLarge red-wine glass
Decant30–60 minutes when young
Cellar2–12 years by style
At the table
Pair it by weight, freshness and aroma.
How we recognise this grape
In a blind Wineflight, we first look for black cherry, plum and violet. On the palate, lively to high acidity, clearly present but moderate tannin and a broad, full body provide the structural check: aroma alone is never enough to identify Bonarda. Argentina’s Bonarda is valued for juicy dark fruit and gentle tannin; despite the name, it is genetically distinct from Italy’s best-known Bonarda grapes.
This is a practical tasting cue from our Wineflight experience, not a fixed recipe: origin, ripeness and winemaking can shift the profile.
Reference databases and further readingVIVC · Variety database ↗OIV · Vitivinicultural data ↗Wine Folly · Grape guide ↗