Malbec And More

For someone who doesn't appreciate wine, I've been having alot of wine this month using the famous Argentine Malbec that are reminiscent of merlot flavors. They're often medium-bodied, floral or fruity, and very easy on the palate. Good table wine without having to burn a hole in the pocket.

At the so-called nicer restaurants in Buenos Aires, a glass of table-grade Malbec ranges between about ARS$25 - 40, and they're good enough for an amateur like me. I cannot quite taste the difference in the complexity. My tastebuds are specifically geared for whisky, not wine. We've been dining in a group, so bottles are easier for us. We...or rather I, have been making the wine selections, picking bottles from Cheval des Andes, Achával-Ferrer and Finca Altamira Mendoza. ARS$130 will get you a fairly decent bottle that outperforms many Australian pinot noir. Nobody has complained about my selections....yet.

I usually let the sommelier make the selections for the whites. It's odd, but I simply don't understand the whites. The Torrentes seem more complicated, but sweet-ish. It's almost like a cross between Riesling and Moscato. The mind digests information on the reds easily. I'm very fond of the reds from Mendoza. How I wish I get to visit! This means I ought to make another trip to Argentina just for Mendoza and Patagonia. If only the damn flights here aren't so tedious. Anyway, I'm no wine connoisseur. A dram of Lagavulin 16 y.o gave me so much pleasure and comfort than a glass of expensive Argentine red.