Well, yes. Check out my picks for pairing your fave Mexican fare with everything from a juicy Argentine red to a sparkling wine from New Mexico and tell me if these just don’t hit the spot.

Accompanied by his canine helpmates Shiloh and Buddy, Argetsinger walked us through the vineyard, which is a pretty fortuitous site for grape-growing. The lake helps moderate the cold temperatures, helping to ensure that grapes achieve ripeness–not a given in frigid upstate New York. (Did I mention that it snowed the morning we left? This is in mid-May, people.) Older vines often produce better wines, and some of the Argetsinger Riesling vines are 40+ years old. He also favors organic growing methods, such as planting cover crops between vine rows. Shiloh and Buddy seem to approve.

The proof, however, is in the drinking. The vast majority of Argetsinger’s fruit goes into wines made by Morten Hallgren at Ravines Wine Cellars.  Hallgren makes a single vineyard Argetsinger Riesling and after our tour, he was on hand to pour some of the 2007 for us TasteCampers. We sipped it out of tiny paper cups and devoured slices of sublime breakfast quiche courtesy of Morten’s wife, Lisa. The wine, made in a dry style, had a steeliness, minerality, and finesse that set it apart from the other local Rieslings I sampled over the weekend, and it was one of my favorites of the entire trip.

Sadly, the 2007 is sold out, but the 2008 is available on the Ravines Web site (and, at $25, is very well priced.) Fans of not too-serious, slightly sweet wines should also check out the Keuka Village White, a casual summer wine for $12. I’d also like to try the Chardonnay that Hallgren produces from Argetsinger fruit. They partially dry the Chardonnay grapes, which concentrates the sugar and compensates for the cool weather. (Again, did I mention the snow?) And I’m going to check back with these guys in a few years to see what happens with the Petit Manseng Argetsinger is about to put in, at Hallgren’s behest. An aromatic white from southwestern France, it make beautiful dessert wines. Hallgren’s cautiously optimistic, admitting he’s not sure how the grape will fare in the cold. Given the successful track record of these two, I’m excited to see how it will turn out.

One programming note: posting this week will likely be on the light side. I have my diploma case study exam on Wednesday (wish me luck!) so must focus all my wine energies on that for the moment. Rewarding myself on Wednesday with a winemaker dinner that I’m very psyched about. Check back in with me later this week to find out more!