We have been back from our Argentina wine tour about four weeks, and ever since we have been looking for Argentine wines at all our local wine stores. The good news is that the these wines are easy to find and it looks as though we will have many more Argentine wines to choose from in the coming months.
I just received the May issue of Wine Business Monthly with an article on the immergence of Argentina Malbec wine in the U.S. The exports of Malbec to the United States increased 61% in 2008. The demand in the U.S. is growing rapidly largely due to the quality price ratio. Labor is cheap in Argentina, the dollar is strong compared to the Argentine pesos, and consequently you can find many outstanding Argentine Malbec wines under $20.
In the past twenty years, winemaking techniques in Argentina have dramatically changed, bringing their wines to a world-class level. Most Malbec wines are aged in French Oak barrels for at least a year and then another year in the bottle. The tannins are very mild and the wines are great with food especially red meat. Do yourself a favor and begin sampling these wines.
Here is a list of Argentine wine labels that you should be able to find in many wine shops, as well as Costco and BevMo. Most of these wines will be under $20.
