| parkerpt |
Has anyone tried one of the Malbecs from Argentina? I read a review in USAToday this past week about this variety being successfully grown in Argentina. For some reason the tannins are less intense when this grape is grown in S. Am. versus France and it apparently allows a smoother taste at a younger age versus French grown varieties. Any thoughts?
This wine rookie would like to hear from some of the more experienced samplers of the grape. |
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| andreseng |
| Funny you should mention this. I tried my first one just last night. Received it as a holiday gift. I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't care much for the nose, barnyard-ish. But the flavor was good. The finish was a little different, like a cross between a fruit bomb and a field of flowers. I don't have the bottle so I can't quote it. I'll try and find it tonight. If you haven't tried one of these I suggest you do. |
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| parkerpt |
| I'm pretty new to wine, especially the reds. My wife and I have taken the natural progression of novices: white zin first because it is light and fruity and can be paired with about anything it seems, especially spicy foods; we then gradually progressed to a variety of rieslings, white merlot, and pinot grigio. The crispness of the pinot grigios is particularly appealing to me but I am fatiguing of the overt sweetness of the white zins and some of the rieslings. I didn't step into any of the reds until a client of mine gave me a bottle of cabernet - not a particularly good first step into reds in my opinion. I've been able to consistently enjoy merlots but I have had a few that I won't touch again. I typically shop in the sub-$10 range because my palate is not skilled enough to enjoy the higher priced wines. All I can really tell is I like it or I don't. Kind of like with cigars, I can't name the flavors I'm picking up on but I can tell if it is a good cigar or not. I'm pretty sure I've purchased every $8-10 bottle of merlot in town so I'm now reaching out for some other reds. The description of the Argentine Malbec sparked my interest. My next challenge will be to find a vendor in Amarillo that actually carries any. |
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| dj-mdx2 |
| No offense to the uber-connoiseurs out there, but when Consumer Reports (yeah sure, take this with a grain of salt since they lost some of their credibility with the infant car seat debacle) tests wines with their expert panel, a lot of the sub-$15 wines come out on top. But then again, who knows if those same experts were in the side-impact crash tests. :D |
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| Dog |
As an avid wine drinker, I've been through the exact same process trying to determine what I like and why. The best way to do it is exactly as you're doing know - drink, drink, drink.
First, let me answer your question about malbec. Yes, there are excellent Argentinian malbecs out there. Catena is one of my favorite producers and you can find some of their bottles for around $10 (their best ones are much more). Catena and malbecs in general are pretty widely available. If you can't find local, you can order by mail assuming it is legal to ship to Texas. The best winestore in terms of selection and pricing than Sam's Wine in Chicago http://www.samswine.com (I am in no way connected to Sam's other than I order lots o' wine from them).
A few other suggestions that I found helpful when starting out with wine:
1) Find a wine store near you that has people who really know wine and talk to them about their recommendations. You don't have to agree with their taste, but it is a great way to learn.
2) In addition to trying different types of wine, try wines at different pricepoints. Raising your price to $20 occasionally, or even $30, will give you a much better selection of wines to try. In fact, for many of the greatest types of wine - e.g. Burgundy, Bordeaux, Barolo, riesling - it will be near impossible to find good examples for under $15. Also try wines from different regions - riesling is far better in Germany than California.
3) Get a decent wine reference book so you can read about the type of wine you're drinking. Hugh Johnson, Janice Robinson, Karen MacNeil all have great books available. And yes, there is even a "Wine for Dummies".
4) Find a wine class in your area that will introduce you to new wines and pairing with food. Even the best wines will taste like crap when paired with the wrong foods. Try smoked salmon with a fine cabernet if you have any doubt.
Sorry for the length of the response, but this is a passion for me!:7: |
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| andreseng |
I'd also suggest checking out WineLibraryTV
If $10 Merlots interest you check out Episode 171. You may also enjoy browsing other episodes on topics that interest you.
Gary Vaynerchuk is a great down to earth guy who is very knowledgeable, not a wine snoot, a force in the retail wine arena and has developed quite a following (Vayniacs) on his vlog.
Their retail location looks like a library, outside and in. Although it's obviously not near you it's worth checking out if you're ever in the area. |
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| parkerpt |
Dog and andreseng
Thanks for the input. I figure I have at least 40+ good years of life to keep up the sampling.
We do in fact have an unassuming wine expert in Amarillo working at one of the local liquor/party stores. By looking at him you would never have the slightest idea of the storehouse of wine knowledge he is hoarding in his head. He has unkempt hair, big glasses, wears t-shirts and jeans and ALWAYS wears a black leather vest. He willfully offers suggestions (he is selling, after all) and his recommendations are usually spot on. On rare occasions he will actually offer a wine tasting class but I've never been able to coordinate my life to his schedule.
And thanks for the book references.
mp |
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| mdxx3 |
| I was walking all around today looking for a bottle that says Malbec on it. Didn't find any... obviously in a wrong store. Got something else instead (NZ stuff). I'll keep checking to find out what exactly is a Malbec... |
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| parkerpt |
andreseng
I watched episode 42 on winetv and interestingly, one of the posts listed the following link on Malbecs.
http://drvino.blogspot.com/2006/04/...up-or-star.html
Incedently, episode #42 is a great starter for rookies like me and probably for veterans who are looking for deeper skills in assessing the subtle tastes. This bottle of Lindeman's Bin 50 Shiraz tastes much better tonight that it did last night just by using some of Gary's suggestions (i.e. smelling - really smelling the wine, sloshing in the mouth, etc) Did everyone else here know that the sugars that hang to the side of the glass are called "legs"? |
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| Dog |
quote:
Originally posted by parkerpt
andreseng
I watched episode 42 on winetv and interestingly, one of the posts listed the following link on Malbecs.
http://drvino.blogspot.com/2006/04/...up-or-star.html
Incedently, episode #42 is a great starter for rookies like me and probably for veterans who are looking for deeper skills in assessing the subtle tastes. This bottle of Lindeman's Bin 50 Shiraz tastes much better tonight that it did last night just by using some of Gary's suggestions (i.e. smelling - really smelling the wine, sloshing in the mouth, etc) Did everyone else here know that the sugars that hang to the side of the glass are called "legs"?
Ahhh...another wino in the making...it's a beautiful thing :22: |
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| andreseng |
quote:
Originally posted by parkerpt
andreseng
This bottle of Lindeman's Bin 50 Shiraz tastes much better tonight that it did last night just by using some of Gary's suggestions (i.e. smelling - really smelling the wine, sloshing in the mouth, etc)
Then you should also check out the episode on decanting (18). The fact that your wine went overnight may have allowed it to open up more. But know that you probably only get about 3 days max. IF you keep an opened bottle refrigerated. Of course you'll need to let it sit for a bit after taking it out so it can warm up and release all that taste and smell again.
This is why I always make a point of finishing the bottle (what a great excuse, huh?).
Wine On my friend!!! |
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