Alamos Malbec 2016

Photo credit: me

I walked into the liquor store tonight and UB40's "Red, Red Wine" was playing without a hint of irony. You can guess what I ended up buying though—that's right, I lovely bottle of red, red wine on this dark and chilly Wednesday evening.

In honour of Wine Wednesday, I selected a cheap and cheerful Malbec from one of it's most reliable purveyors: Argentina. The Alamos winery produces a lovely iteration of this medium-bodied varietal that was my gateway into the world of wine. You see, Argentina and Chile produce much better inexpensive red wines than Canada and America. Here, we dump in all sorts of crap and slap a cute animal on the label and call it wine. There, they grow something simple yet delicious and accessible, ideal for the burgeoning wine connoisseur.

When you're just getting to know wine, it's often wise to take baby steps away from one that you like (don't forget to make a note or snap a pic on your phone so that you don't stumble up the liquor store clerk and ask them for "that wine you bought last week"). For instance, Alamos also produces a handsome Cabernet Sauvignon, if you're feeling that winter chill and want something a bit more substantial. Or, if a rich white wine is more what you're after, reach for their Chardonnay.

I'm keen on their Malbec because I enjoy a little fruit on the nose and a clean finish. Plus, I don't mind the $13.99 price point offered by our fair government run liquor stores here in the province of British Columbia.

If you're like me and succeeded in lining up some paid writing work for the next little while—or whatever your reason for celebrating—but you don't want to break the bank mid-week, head to the Argentina section of the store and take the Alamos Malbec for a spin. You won't be disappointed. And now I'll leave you with a little UB40 to keep you company while you enjoy a tipple. Cheers!