Nectar of the Andes

Even though I have been enjoying good wines for 8 years and cellaring wines for 5 years, I love that there is always more to learn. If you have never tried the Bonarda grape from Argentina, now is the time!

My daughter, Candice, and I shared a bottle of 2006 Tikal Altos de Mendoza Patriota from the famous Mendoza region of Argentina. This magical, high-dessert region is home to some of the most passionate and well-known wine makers in the world. Made from 60% Bonarda and 40% Malbec, it is full of rich, dark fruits including black cherries and dark elderberries. I have affectionately nick-named it the nectar of the Andes because its thick, creamy texture. Without the sweetness of a dessert wine, it feels like rich, fruity nectar on your pallette. I'll let you count the seconds off as it dances on your tongue. It's one of the bottles I could drink for hours, with out without food.

Fun fact: Bonarda is the second most widely planted red grape in Argentina.

Thanks for Zack at Incredible Wines and Spirits for this great recommendation!

Value Beats Vintage

Almost ten years ago, I blind tasted a very inexpensive Umbrian wine against a vintage Amarone from Valpolicella. My wife, Michelle, and I, joined two other couples, who at the time knew more about wine than anyone we knew. I simply explained to them that both were Italian wines, and that one cost $70 and the other cost $10. To my surprise, 4 out of 5 of them chose the value bottle as the more expensive wine.

To this day, Falesco Vitiano has become my favorite party wine. Whenever we are having a soiree and need to buy a case, Vitiano has never failed us! The equal parts of Cabernet, Merlot, and Sangiovese are grown in the hills surrounding Orvieto, in Umbria, producing a deep, dark purple color that is just a precursor to the velvety flavors of this Italian mavel. Dark fruits accompanied with supple tanins present a wine that can stand up to spices and red meats. For under $10, you can buy a case and be free to enjoy on a daily basis.

By the way, I don't think this blind tasting was as much about a poor tasting vintage wine, it was more about a great tasting value wine.

Chocolate Lover's Spanish Wines

I decided to let you all in on some of my favorite wines, starting with some very well priced, Spanish wines.

For an every day wine, I love the Juan Gil Monastrell. Not only does this wine come with a beautiful silver label, it is 100% Monastrell, harvested from 40 year old parcels in the sandy, rocky, chalky soil in the Jumilla of south-eastern Spain. The producer talks about red berried and sweet tannins, but for some reason, whenever I drink it, I taste fruit right up front and finish with a light chocolate taste. So, for you chocolate lovers, give it try.

Another favorite is the Rotllan Torra Priorat Reserva. My daughter discovered this from her neighborhood wine store on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. She brought it home and hands down, took the number one position at one of my Spanish wine tastings in my cellar. This Grenacha blend from the Priorat region is full of delicious fruit, dances on your tongue for well over 20 seconds, and finishes with an even deeper, darker chocolate flavor than even the Juan Gil. For the best result, decant the wine for at least two hours; you would be fine with three. It's like magic, believe me.

And before you accuse me of tasting chocolate in all wines, there is only one other wine that I have tasted with this amazing chocolate flavor. It was a 1997 Pio Cesare Barolo. Now that would be an expensive adventure.

Go buy the two bottles and tell me what you think. Or let me know about your favorite Spanish wines.