How to Buy Wine

     Ah, the most unfortunate of circumstances. You have run out of wine.  This necessitates an intimidating trip to the liquor store, where you will be forced to helplessly roam the aisles; either choosing only wines that bear shelf talkers with clever little tasting notes from snobs, or wines that have the prettiest/coolest bottle. The wine merchant might even make a suggestion, only to push on you the oldest stock available, just so he can get rid of it.  Don’t be a sucker.  Besides finding a trustworthy and intelligent merchant, there is a key to unlocking all of this madness, and it is this: know the wine regions, know their grapes.

     Even barring technological advances in winemaking, a region cannot grow just any grape it desires, and a winemaker cannot cultivate just any grape on his or her land (there are a few exceptions: these people are wizards).   You are going to have to do a little work here- memorizing.  Admittedly, not the best or easiest task for a wine lover, but it certainly is worth the mind bending.  Here’s the first installment of a brief crash course, starting with what is currently my most beloved wine region.      

    Argentina: This region is exploding.  A good number of the wines are delicious and affordable, plus in the past 15 years, they put 650 million bucks into the industry.  They take their wine seriously.  From this region comes the red grape that got me into wine- Malbec.  Malbec is a delicious discard of France , where it was called Cot in some places and Auxerrois in others.  It makes wines that are as dark as ink, rich, and juicy.  It is great with all types of red meat, another Argentine favorite.   I have also had it with grilled pork loin and various stews.  Remember, it's powerful, so you do not want to drink this with any light food- the flavor of the food will drown because the wine will take over.           

     Argentina’s main white grape  is called Torrontes, which turns out a fresh, crisp but intense wine with an alluring aroma- great for summertime drinking.  It’s great with light bites, like slices of toasted baguette with white beans and herbs, or a sampling of nuts, mild cheeses, and raw veggies. Put it this way- a pre-dinner wine to sip outside on a hot day. It is also good with mild fish and shellfish, like shrimp and tilapia.   You do not want to pair this with any heavy food, because the wine will get lost.  

     Argentina is also experimenting with Chardonnay, which is proving to be delicious and not heavily oaked- very different from what you typically get in a Chardonnay. Some of the cooler regions are also cultivating Pinot Noir. I have not had these yet.  For your best bet, stick to Malbec (and Malbec-based blends), Torrontes, and Chardonnay when shopping for Argentine wine- it is difficult to go wrong.