Prohotel - Management & Marketing

Dallas, Texas (April 22, 2010) - Our first vintage of the Ikal 1150 Malbec 2007 took a silver medal in the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition! With a production of less than 2000 cases per year, this was the most limited production Malbec wine to medal in this prestigious competition. Also, taking a bronze medal was our Ikal 1150 Torrontes 2008. "We're pleased that these varietals both took medals. Our wines are about the expression of place and terroir and what better way to express this than with two of the most unique grapes from Argentina," said Jerry Ward, "and it was great to win in Dallas!" Indeed, before venturing to Argentina to help create the Ikal 1150 winery, Jerry lived in the Dallas and Fort Worth area where he attended Dallas Community College and Southern Methodist University. The 2010 competition marked the 26th anniversary of the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition. Since its inception in 1985 with 570 entries, the competition has grown to include over 3,000 entries from around the world. This makes the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition the third largest in the United States and the largest anywhere outside of California. The Malbec is our most popular wine. It is made with five different Argentine clones selected for their aromatics which include Violet, Rose Pedal, and Chocolate. We produce this wine in the old-world style and to preserve aroma and balance we age this wine in neutral French oak barrels from Seguin Moreau. This Malbec has violet, chocolate, and spice through the palette and a long finish. It goes wonderfully with hard cheeses, roasted vegetables and meats, and is the perfect companion to Texas barbecue. Torrontes is a uniquely Argentine white wine. Ours has beautiful floral aromas, honey, and citrus on the nose but remains dry on the palette. Torrontes is often called the "liar grape" for this reason. You think it will be sweet and the dryness surprises you. In 2008, we made only 300 cases of the Ikal 1150 Torrontes and it has been well received by wine drinkers during the hot Texas summer. It pairs very well with spicy foods including Thai and Mexican cuisine, and is especially great paired with Ceviche. About Ikal 1150 Wines of Argentina Ikal 1150 is a small estate vineyard producing five 100% varietal wines in Mendoza, Argentina including Torrontes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Our name "Ikal" means "poetry" in native Mayan and "eleven-fifty" describes our elevation in meters above sea level where the vines are nourished on fresh snow-melt water and without pesticides or herbicides. The large temperature variation between night and day allows the grapes to slowly ripen. The rocky soil lends its river-stone character to our wines and is also the inspiration for our wine labels. The elevation, water, climate, and soil all work in harmony allowing us to produce some of the finest wines in the world. "It's the perfect place to be inspired and our inspiration was to share the beauty of this place and its wines with friends," said Sandra Beltran. "We feel privileged that we produced enough to offer our first release." We are also building a small luxury vineyard hotel and vineyard residences. To learn more about our wines and story, please visit Ikal 1150 Wines of Argentina, or become friends at our winery fan page on Facebook. In Dallas and Fort Worth, the wines are available at Cork Wines West Village, Fedora Restaurant , Majesty Restaurant in Flower Mound, Beverage City, and Majestic Fine Wines.