Fred Taskers Argentine Wine Suggestions

Fred, wine suggestions from Linda’s Food News and Views program on National Public Radio

When you visit Argentina, you must eat red meat. At a restaurant in Buenos Aires, I watched slim, elegant ladies who lunch eating steaks that flopped over both sides of their plates. The only thing you couldn’t get was a salad. And when we ordered the mixed grill, they brought five pounds of meat for the three of us. And one of the cuts turned out to be the udder – sending my daughter running for the bathroom.

And what you drink in Argentina is malbec. This is a grape and wine that originated in France, where it turns out inky and hard as nails and is used to give structure to Bordeaux blends in cold years when they turn out wimpy.
But under the Argentine sun malbec is totally different: Aromas of violets, flavors or black raspberries and milk chocolate. A great wine for steak or empanadas. And they’re pretty cheap. Catena makes a marvelous malbec for $18, and Norton has a very popular one for $10.

Also, surprisingly for a red meat country, Argentina turns out an unusual and delicious white wine called torrontes. It’s crisp and juicy and tangy and it tastes like white grapefruit or maybe lychee. Some people think it’s related to the German grape gewürztraminer.

This is great with fish. Catena also makes a nice torrontes for $11. And Santa Julia makes one for $10.