If you’re not wanting to drop serious money on a
bottle of red wine and yet want a good wine, then head straight to the
Malbecs. One of the five red grapes
allowed currently by law in Bordeaux (and used in the blend of some of Bordeaux’s
priciest bottles), Malbec is vinified as a separate varietal in Argentina. An Argentine Malbec is normally the best
value red on a wine list.
In addition to their high quality/price ratio, I especially
love Malbecs because they typically have soft tannins…this means the wine is
approachable when young. Another reason to choose a Malbec from
Argentina is that Argentina rarely has poor vintages. Regardless of the year,
you’ll get a good vintage. (Take for
example Robert Parker’s Vintage chart---he has rated 10 out of 10 of the past
vintages in Argentina in the 90’s).
There’s no other spot on earth that has received these consistent scores
for the quality of the vintage from Parker, or probably from any other wine
critic.
An Argentinean Malbec is often a terrific choice
because it can pair well with a wide group of foods. Naturally, it’s a great red meat wine, but it
can also work with spicy food. Case in
point: Argentina’s traditional chimichurri sauce is often served with the
country’s famous steaks (chimichurri is an addictive high-octane spicy
condiment). This means that Malbec also goes
well with Mexican food, in addition as spicy Asian dishes. But, take it from this almost-vegetarian,
Malbec is so not a one trick pony. It can
pair perfectly with grilled veggies, frittatas, and polenta. The wine also works well with a pesto-pasta,
or even a tomato-sauced pasta.
Malbec from Argentina is an unsung hero. To learn more about this terrific varietal
why not join Wine-Knows on our trip to Argentina and Chile next year? There are four seats remaining on this
harvest tour to South America. Check out
this trip’s details: http://www.wineknowstravel.com/
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