The last South American titanosaur

I thought titanosaur was a made-up dinosaur name, but turns out it’s not. 

Titanosaurs are in the sauropod family, known for their “lizard-hips”, small heads but large overall size – some reaching 60 feet in height – and herbivorous ways.  Of particular interest for the purposes of this post is the aeolosaurus.  The last one on record was found during the construction of the Familia Schroeder winery in San Patricio del Chañar, a fairly new winemaking region in the Patagonia area of Argentina.  The fossils are still on exhibit at the winery today.  

Since I’m more interested in enology than paleontology, I’ll get on with it. 

A few weeks ago, I tried Familia Schroeder’s Deseado (Spanish for wish or wished for), a sparkling wine made in the charmat method with 100% Torrontés. 

Torrontés is a white grape found primarily in Argentina, with some plantings in Spain and Chile.  Work at UC Davis suggests it’s a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Mission.  It tends to be very aromatic with lots of floral, peach and orange citrus and this sparkler was no exception.  Fairly full-bodied with great acidity noticeable sweetness (75.16 g/l residual sugar).  It clocks in at just under 10% alcohol – perfect for a summer picnic wine.