Red wines for the winter...Argentinian Enlightenment!

It's the weekend before Christmas, and I find myself craving big red wines to help lessen the chill of the oncoming winter. I've been on the hunt for a truly excellent < $25 bottle of Napa Valley Cab. I'm sorry to say that the search has not been an easy one. I've had fun trying out a bunch of candidates, but either my taste buds are getting more and more refined, or anytime a Napa Cab shows any real potential, it is priced above a reasonable threshold. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem spending money on wine, but it's such a very sad commentary on the U.S. wine industry when a “normal” wine guy can’t afford to drink a good Napa Cab regularly.

I didn’t dwell on this unfortunate fact too long as my interests were diverted elsewhere. Every wine lover needs to have a couple of local wine shops that will provide recommendations that might suit an individual’s taste. One such place that came to me completely unexpectedly was my local Cost Plus store. The individuals working the wine section have consistently been very knowledgeable, and I often times have them put together a mixed case for me with their suggestions. I did just that a couple of weeks ago, focusing on wines from Argentina. I’m by no means an expert on Argentinian wines, and admittedly, I’ve only had a few Malbecs to start my education. However, on the backend of a huge disappointment of trying to find a decent Napa Valley wine at the $25 price point, I thought I’d get a bunch of Argentina wines for less than $20, with a few in the <$10 range. Thankfully, my Napa disappointment was followed by Argentinian enlightenment.

One wine in particular blew me away. It was the 2005 COLONIA LAS LIEBRES Bonarda from Mendoza and I think I paid ~7 bucks for it. I chose the wine for 2 reasons: 1. The playful label with running rabbits (my wife is an animal lover), and 2. I had never even heard of the Bonarda grape before. After tasting it for the first time, I forgot all about Napa Valley’s pricing problems. The Bonarda was dark (very dark), and suggested deep fruit up front and although you can feel the tannins on the finish, my mouth continued to water long after…and I simply wanted more. Doing a bit of research, I found that I wasn’t alone in my exuberance for the wine. Wine Spectator reviewed it as a “Best Value” and rated it an 87. For the price, though, and its warming effect on a chilly wintery evening, I give this wine a lot of credit.

The Bonarda, as good as it was, quickly was overshadowed by the bottle that I got as my “splurge” of the mixed case. It was the 2005 BODEGA CATENA ZAPATA Malbec Mendoza, and a great representation of what Malbec is all about…wonderful fruit on the start, and a velvety finish. This wine is in the category of an excellent wine for me, and at ~$20 is one that should be a lesson for the Napa Valley winemakers, who would surely have priced this wine in the $50+ range. I’ll get off my soap box now, but the price/value ratio coming out of Argentina these days really is worth some more exploration...I’ll certainly continue mine.