Argentina Winner

Hello Winos!

Lets talk Cabernet! One of the most recognizable wine types out there today. They can be big, tannic, up front fruit bombs or they can be elegant, soft with lots of finesse, you choose. This will depend on where the wine comes from and what the wine maker wants to show with the grapes he is given. You take a California Napa Cabernet and it will always have a distinct flavor profile, arguably some of the best in the world. Take one from Bordeaux France, and again it will have a certain characteristic and old world charm to it. Take one from Italy and this one will have Italian written all over it. Take one from Argentina, and so too, this one will have a certain softness and earthiness to it. This brings me to the wine for today's post... Alta Vista Classic Cabernet from Mendoza Argentina.

You will find this wine an incredible value at a whopping $8.99 a bottle! Trust me when I say you cannot get to the wine shop quick enough to buy this nectar of the Gods! You will find this wine a dark red-purplish color with intense dark fruit on the nose with a touch of vanilla and a long finish with sweet tannins. The grapes for this wine are hand picked and placed in stainless steel tanks for fermentation for approximately 7 days. Continued maceration continues for a total of 10 days and then is aged in American oak barrels for 6 months. (This is where the notes of vanilla come from on the nose)

This wine is a perfect match for grilled meats, pasta with heavy sauces and hard cheeses.

Cheers!

J

Odd Couple

Hey Wine Lovers!

Before you read too far into this post, I want you to write down De Bortoli, get in your car, drive to the Wine Discount Center, go inside and ask for this wine. Next fill up your car's back seat, trunk, passenger seat and wherever you can fit this wine and go home and finish reading my blog. It is only $5.79 a bottle!!

It is a Chardonnay from Australia (I know what you're thinking... another Chardonnay!) that drinks light with touches of citrus and melon with a well balanced finish. I usually don't get too excited about Chardonnay, unless of course it is from France, but I can't write about them because they are too expensive for my blog, but this one for the money is a beaut! The De Bortoli family has been making wine since 1928 when Vittorio De Bortoli produced his first wine, a Shiraz from South Eastern Australia. They have a number of labels in their portfolio and some pretty highly rated wines.

The next entry for today is a Shiraz Tempranillo blend from Spain's Bodegas Mercedes Eguren. This wine will set you back $8.99 and has been rated 90 points! Wait until you get your mouth around this juicy little number! It is jam packed with dark fruit with a touch of leather that runs into a long balanced finish with just the right amount of tannin to dance on the back of your throat. This wine drinks much better than the price would indicate, not to mention the high rating. The blend of this wine is 50% for each varietal and it shows in it's complexity.

I'm sure most of you have heard of Shiraz but maybe Tempranillo is a little foreign. This grape is to Spain as Sangiovese is to Italy... one of their most planted and widely used grapes that can make a very ugly tannic wine that you would want to stay away from, or it can make a very elegant wine that could stand up to the world's best offerings. Don't be afraid to try this wine, you will be quite content!

Cheers!

J

Argentine White

Hello Wine Drinkers!

Hope all is well this summer with you all. It seems to be going so fast for me, maybe because it is! Today's entry is a white wine from Argentina, Tercos Torrontes 2009. A beautiful white wine from an ancient grape that is prominent in Argentina. It is equivalent to their signature red grape, Malbec. This little number has citrus flavors with peach and a nose that falls between Muscat and Viognier, lots of floral. At a whopping $10.79 a bottle you can't go wrong!

Lets talk a little about Torrontes and the winery. (Torrontes is the grape varietal) Ricardo Santos was the original owner of Norton Winery before he started a premium label called his namesake, Ricardo Santos Winery. His history goes back three decades and was one of the first to export Malbec from Argentina.

Torrontes is the characteristic white grape of Argentina and some believe it can be traced all the way back to Spanish Missionaries. There is over 33,000 acres of this grape planted in Argentina and it thrives in cold dry conditions. It produces wines with low acid and smooth textures and peach and apricot overtones. A perfect wine for sipping on your patio! DNA testing find it to be a close relative of the Muscat grape varietal, which goes back to my earlier comment.

At any rate... Don't cry for me Argentina...

Cheers!

J