Iconic Argentine Winemaker Susana Balbo Introduces a New, Low-Alcohol Chardonnay and Organic Malbec to the U.S. Market

The Crios Sustentia line is the direct result of a winemaker and her team’s passion to constantly evolve. It is also a celebration to continue discovering, inventing and transforming the limits of enology.

NEW YORK (PRWEB)
June 22, 2023

Susana Balbo–one of Argentina’s most iconic and pioneering family wineries, located in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza–introduces the new Crios sub-line: ‘Sustentia’. Translating to “sustenance,” Sustentia will include wines that respond to the global need for products that take care of both our land and the people that inhabit it. The low-alcohol Crios Sustentia Chardonnay and Crios Sustentia Organic Malbec will be the first two wines from the line to enter the U.S. market.

“I always support innovation and constant curiosity. I am passionate about applying my winemaking knowledge to novel products and ideas,” explains Winemaker Susana Balbo. “The Crios Sustentia line is the direct result of a winemaker and her team’s passion to constantly evolve. It is also a celebration to continue discovering, inventing and transforming the limits of enology.”

‘Crios’ was born as a manifestation of Susana’s love for her two children, Ana and José Lovaglio Balbo, and her desire to forge a family legacy. This legacy will carry on with the Sustentia line, and both children, as they work in the winery and continue to provide sustenance to their family and community, thanks to sustainable practices.

The Crios Sustentia Chardonnay is a reduced-calorie wine created for those who are curious about lower-alcohol alternatives that do not change in quality or taste. “This wine was created to respond to the global trend towards taking care of oneself and health,” says Marketing Manager Ana Lovaglio Balbo. It is a naturally light wine that is low in calories (less than 100kcal per serving) and lower in alcohol (9%), but full of life with tropical and floral aromas balanced by structured acidity (6.4 g/l). Chief Winemaker José Lovaglio Balbo explains, “the grapes were harvested earlier, during the first week of February, to have a lower sugar content, which translates into lower alcohol content. Additionally, during fermentation, we use selected yeasts that consume a lot of sugar and produce little alcohol.”

Made with 100% organic Malbec grapes from high-altitude vineyards in the Uco Valley, the Crios Sustentia Mablec is a quintessential, medium-bodied Argentine wine that offers complete purity, as a result of organic production techniques and low intervention. Notes of red fruits, such as raspberries, stand out on the nose, while the palate boasts a pleasant finish and very round tannins thanks to Agrelo’s clayey soils. “Launching an organic wine in the Crios Sustentia range is a way for us, the winery’s new generation, to leave our mark in the pursuit of a sustainable and cared-for future, whether it is how we produce the wine or how we package it for shipping,” explains Ana Lovaglio Balbo.

Practicing sustainability from the vineyards to the shelves, the wines are packaged with the environment in mind:

• Sustainable Capsule: The E-CAP by Ramondin is a plastic-free, sustainable and 100% recyclable capsule that reduces our environmental footprint.
• Recycled Fiber Paper: The label is supported by Fasson® Cuvée Estate 100 PWC, a 100% recycled post-consumer waste (PCW) paper with FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) certification.
• Light-Weight Bottles: The Giuliana lightweight model by Verallia Argentina weighs only 400 grams (0.88 lbs), which helps to reduce the footprint associated with the logistics. It has an ecological design and it is made of recycled glass.
• Kraft Boxes: The kraft boxes in which the wines are shipped are 100% recyclable and biodegradable. Corrugated cardboard degrades completely in a maximum period of one year. As it is basically cellulose, its decomposition time is very short.

Since its inception, Susana Balbo has always been distinguished by a marked commitment to the care of nature, and the accreditation of the BRC (British Retail Consortium) Global Standard for Food Safety, the implementation of the Sustainability Protocol of Bodegas de Argentina, the adhesion to the Global Compact of the United Nations Organization and the silver medal obtained in the category “Excellence in Sustainable Practices” of the Best of Mendoza’s Wine Tourism 2022 are just a few examples of this.

The Crios Sustentia Chardonnay and Organic Malbec will be nationally distributed by Folio Wine Partners and the suggested retail price will be $18.99.

About Susana Balbo

Susana Balbo is a family winery, focused on high-end wine production, located in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, at the foothills of the Andes mountain range. It was founded in 1999 by Susana Balbo, Argentina’s first female winemaker. The winery’s multidisciplinary team is made up of more than one hundred people, including José and Ana, Susana’s children, who all share the same values, vision and passion for creating quality wines.

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