Archive for the ‘Review Malbec wine’ Category

Embrace the Diversity: The New Wines On The Block

signpostWe’ve all seen it happen: you’ve got the status quo going nicely in your company, your school, or your neighborhood. Everyone knows where they stand in the pecking order: who’s the boss and who are the supporting cast. So when someone new moves into town, you expect them to work their way up the ladder, and pay their dues along the way.

But what if they don’t? What if they just come storming into the neighborhood, acting like they own the place. Or not acting at all – just taking charge by doing what they do very well.

If you’ll pardon the long-winded analogy, that’s exactly what’s happening in the wine world with the so-called “emerging wine regions.” Countries such as Spain, Argentina and Chile are taking American wine markets by storm.

Of course, they’re “emerging” only to us North Americans. These countries have a much stronger wine-drinking heritage than North Americans and have been producing wine, and lots of it, for centuries. But much of it was relatively low quality stuff. That’s all changed in the last five to 10 years with significant improvements in vineyard practices, grape quality and winemaking technology. We’re now seeing lots of good, better and best quality wines from these countries – and often at bargain prices. They’re giving domestic producers a run for their money. Read the rest of this entry »

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Argentina, Women, and Great Wine – A Malbec Wine Review

balbo

The Andes Mountains loom behind the vineyards

Any story about the wine world’s outstanding women would have to include Susana Balbo, the most influential woman in Argentine wine and the talented winemaker responsible for several premium and ultra-premium labels. We stumbled across her second label, Crios de Susana Balbo, and heard they were great value: the wines are perpetually rated 90+ points, and sell in the mid $teens. We tried (and loved) her Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec 2009 doesn’t disappoint either.

Just a few words about the grape called Malbec… This once-forgotten varietal from France’s Bordeaux region has become Argentina’s signature grape. You could argue that it would be hard to make bad wine in this country’s Mendoza region — with the Andes mountains at their back, they have the perfect combination of dry heat, cool nights, snowmelt for irrigation, and elevation to grow world-class grapes. Over the last decade or two, foreign investment has bought the latest equipment and technology, while Argentine winemakers have found the best micro-climates to grow great Malbec. Read the rest of this entry »

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