What Valentine’s Day dinner would not be complete without a nice wine to go with it!? Even though it has sugared in popularity over the last 20 years or so. It has been produced in France as a blended red grape for a century. The recent gain in popularity has come from Argentinian Malbec wines. I have recently become very fond of Malbec wines. They are delicious!
The grapes are grown in the high-altitude sub-regions of Mendoza. This in combination of a hot climate gives the grape/wine a very distinguishable flavor profile with notes of cocoa, blueberry, and red plum along with some herbal notes. Because of these notes Malbec’s be paired with any number of dishes; main course, appetizers, small bites, desserts, cheeses and nuts, even using them for cooking. It is also great at room temperature or slightly chilled.
One of the very best features of Argentine Malbec’s is the price point! On totalwine.com you can find them for a little as $8.50/bottle ranging up to about $20/bottle. I buy a vintage that love at my local wine store that is typically about $9/bottle a little less if I buy by the case.
I cannot encourage you enough to give this great grape/wine variety a try if you haven’t!
Bon Appetit!
Chef Chris