You had to have been impressed during the World Cup final when the camera focused on the setting sun between the outstretched arms of that statue that dominates Rio de Janeiro from atop Mount Corcovado.

It bought back memories of a hot summer’s day in the shadow of this monument and asking a vendor for a glass of grape juice. Fresh bunches of grapes were placed in a blender and out came the most delicious unfermented juice.

In fact, I have enjoyed the local Brazilian wines in a little restaurant just back from the beach at Ipanema.

Then there was the Peruvian dinner table set in the thinnest of air at over 11,000 feet elevation in the ancient Inca trading capital of Cuzco and enjoying the regional wine.

Incidentally, it was in Cuzco Province that the Spanish made the very first wine in South America hundreds of years ago. But now we are travelling down a desert road at considerable speed and Donato, our driver, points to a wild, black stallion standing on a high bluff.

“I believe that you have a word in English for the wife of a horse?” he asks. “Yes” I reply, “we call her a mare”.

We are now in a land of vast vineyards and towering, snow-capped mountains and, even though they had to settle for second place on July 13th, I still opened a bottle of Catena Alta Malbec from the 2010 vintage in Tupungato which is a sub-region of Mendoza.

Tupungato is actually a 21,570-foot-high stratovolcano that dominates the skyline. Robert Parker rates this Malbec 94/100 as he did for the 2009 and it has been on the Wine Spectator’s top 100 list more than once.

There is magic in our world’s highest vineyards and the direct sunlight and significant diurnal range of temperatures gives us fullness, richness, softness, silkiness, smoothness and multiple layers of rich cassis, black currant and blackberries interwoven with hints of liquorice and black pepper. $40.30. Think of Argentina, think of beefsteak, think of this wine.

For days now Donato has been telling us that he wants to take us to a restaurant that “serves the best trouts in Argentina, even all of South America” and so on a Saturday we arrive at the gates of Atamisque.

This French-owned, state- of-the-art facility produced its very first wines in 2007. There are just over 150 acres of vineyards on a property that overall covers about 1,000 and through it flows the stream that supplies the trout(s).

We sit under a large shade tree on the lawn of the winery’s restaurant and to accompany our trout the winemaker suggests his Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

We presently have in stock the Atamisque “Catalpa” Chardonnay 2011 (Atamisque is a small flowering bush and Catalpa a tree, both of which grow on the property).

The grapes are handpicked and sorted and then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks.

About 40 percent of the wine is then aged in the finest (Taransaud and Demptos) new, French oak barrels.

The end result is a golden colour with shades of emerald green. Delicate aromas of apple, pineapple and honey, with light hints of toasted caramel.

It is elegant, intense, finely balanced and its vibrant acidity and mineral notes pair it perfectly with trout. $17.55.

For the same $17.55 you can try our Catalpa 2012 Pinot Noir which, of course, is a marriage made in heaven with trout or salmon.

Like the Chardonnay, this comes from a single vineyard that at 4,430 feet high is above most in the area and the cooler temperatures are perfect for these two grapes.

This Pinot Noir is bright ruby with aromas of blueberries and gooseberry jam. There are hints of caramel and chocolate and in the mouth it is elegant and well-balanced with smooth tannins and intense red fruit notes.

This really is a charming wine that can stand twenty minutes or so in the fridge before serving in our very warm weather.

Well, I guess I have to wait for a few weeks now for the Green Bay Packers to get out there and start playing “football”.

This column is a paid advertorial for Burrows, Lightbourn Ltd. Michael Robinson is Director of Wine at Burrows, Lightbourn Ltd. He can be contacted at mrobinson@bll.bm or on 295-0176. Burrows, Lightbourn have stores in Hamilton (Front Street East, 295-1554), Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355) and St George’s (York Street, 297-0409). A selection of their wines, beers and spirits are available online at www.wineonline.bm.