It’s fair to say I drink a lot of wine. Obviously it’s a requirement for writing about wine, but this is an important fact to consider when I say I reeeeeally don’t like buying wine.
I wasn’t always this grumpy about wine purchases. Before moving to Nashville, I’d gotten used to buying $30-$50 local bottles (I KNOW- but hey there industry discount!), and never had to think too much about what was going in my glass.
Then I moved to Tennessee, which has the craziest liquor laws (I get very bitter about not being able to buy wine in a gas station- what are we? Heathens?), and suddenly I was trying to find something inexpensive in a store where I recognized maybe 10 of the labels.
So I mostly just guessed.
Some were hits that I had a hard time remembering after (a lot of conversations would start with “What was that one awesome wine with that one label?”) and some were extreme misses (I remember cutting one with some apple juice because it was too gross to drink, but also because I was poor and didn’t want to waste it).
Luckily, it was about this time that our team met the owner of Grace’s Liquors, and seriously, the man is a wizard. He respects the fact that we are poor and can’t drop $40 on a wine that will probably be gone in an hour, and he was the first to recommend the Trapiche Malbec, which has been our go-to red for the past couple months.
According to their website, Trapiche is located in the foothills of the Andes in the Mendoza region (more on that in a minute), and apparently is the largest exported Premium brand in Argentina. So these people know what they’re about when it comes to making Malbecs.
I know, I know, maybe you’re like “but wait- what is a Malbec?”
Malbec is one of those wines that’s become insanely popular in the last few years. They are one of the essential parts of a Bordeaux Blend (which is a blend that features six major grapes from Bordeaux, France), In France, they typically don’t make single varietal wines, that is, wine that is only made from one type of grape, so Malbecs are probably most often seen by themselves in the Mendoza region. (think: Napa is to the US as Mendoza is to Argentina- i.e. a huge wine producing region).
Malbecs also tend to be a good gateway red (for those of you who aren’t red wine fans) because they are pretty light on the tannins (aka the stuff in red wines that makes your mouth dry out) and have a nice plum flavor.
The Trapiche not only is a delightful Malbec, but it also retails at $12.01 (with TN tax), so it’s also good to the wallet. A lot of times with the $13 and under, you tend to have to drink the first glass really quickly so you can forget how terrible it is, but this one’s actually a savorer!
Color-wise- the wine is a really dark red, kind of the color of a plum. But like the outside of a plum. It smells a lot like blackberries, and vanilla, and sort of tobacco. It's pretty easy drinking, not super acidic or oaky tasting (which I say as someone who is a glass in already…). I tasted a lot of plum flavor (which makes sense with the color), with a little bit of cherry (I tried really hard to come up with a cool metaphor for the kind of cherry, but the closest I could come was these fancy cherries my bro-in-law got in a drink in East Nashville. Luxardo cherries?). Definitely smooth, mellow, and versatile.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: This is our dinner party wine. It’s fancy enough sounding that it impresses people, and drinkable enough that everyone likes it.
I'D DRINK THIS:
With my parents when they come to visit.
LADIES NIGHT.
At a dinner party. Probably with a kale salad or something.
As as a Christmas gift to a coworker, but not as a secret Santa, because I'd want them to know I was good at choosing wine.