My Malbec

As I previously mentioned, I am not only an aspiring chef, but an aspiring sommelier as well. Just to note: A sommelier is "someone who orders and maintains the wines sold at a restaurant and usually has extensive knowledge about wine and food pairings." I absolutely love ALL wine and drink it as often as possible (without being an alcoholic of course!) I have had the pleasure of having really nice wines, such as a Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1990 (approx $160), as well as finding everyday gems like the Gascon Malbec 2006 from Argentina (approx $12).  My palate is still forming, and since my wallet adheres more to the "everyday gems" I have discovered that when trying to find wines to fit a smaller budget, looking outside of the Cabs, Merlots and Chardonnays one can find exceptional other varieties. My favorite being the Malbecs.

I can credit this to one of my very first tries at a malbec, the Ottone I Barbera Piemonte DOC 2006. It is described as "A ruby red colored wine with an intense, yet delicate nose of red fruits, flowers, and wood. On the palate, it has plenty of fleshy red cherry flavors and a pleasing, crisp finish. A great food wine, it will highlight your favorite pasta, pork, braised beef, and strong cheese dishes." In fact, we tried it with a delicious pepper jack cheese which really brought out the spicy flavors of the wine. It was absolutely scrumptious and I have been hooked on Malbecs ever since. I have gotten my mom into this trend as well and her current favorite is the Gascon Malbec 2006 previously mentioned above. (She actually ordered a case of it! Which is a great budget trick if you know you really like a wine.) It is a very drinkable wine and surprisingly goes well with meals you wouldn't traditionally serve wine with. For example, we have had it with both fajitas and enchiladas. If you would like to read more about Malbecs in general, here is a good article.