Agua de Piedra Reserva Malbec, Vintage 2010

Bless my Dad's little heart, he is always trying to keep up with my flighty passions. Ever a beer connoisseur, my Dad wouldn't touch wine with a 10-foot pole until I started taking the WSET Classes last year ... then, suddenly, I came home for the weekend and he was sipping Malbec out of a tiny white sampler glass and saying things like "this doesn't have a lot of tannins in it, so I like it". It was precious ... but more importantly, it was true.

My Dad brought this bottle over as a "housewarming" present for my roommate Caroline and I to enjoy, along with my typical bottle of Dr. L Riesling (always a favorite) and some food. Then he helped me move stuff. This is why my Dad is awesome.

Verdict: While I didn't drink much of this bottle, I did enjoy what I had - and let me tell you, it's delightful. Argentinian Malbecs really are the "everybody" reds (I also like Australian Shiraz, but Malbecs are a little more light bodied with smoother tannins). I didn't take extensive tasting notes, but what I remember of this bottle was plummy and rich with an earthy base that allowed for the minimal hints of spice to come through on the palate. The finish was quite long and as my Dad said (although he didn't know he was stating a fact), the tannins are velvety smooth. It's not a complex wine, to be sure, but for $8.99, it's a very nice bottle.

Pairing: Classic Malbec pairing is an acidic food, or one with a bit of spice (like a tomato-based dish, or a smoked meat). Because this wine is mild, it would do well with more subdued "big flavor" dishes like Teryaki Chicken or Tex-Mex food without a ton of jalapenos in it. I think this bottle would go nicely with most dishes, but it would definitely overpower a simple chicken-and-rice dish unless you're going to throw a ton of spices and garlic in there (*cough*boyfriend*cough*).Basically, just enjoy this wine. Grab a hunk of Asiago and munch on it while enjoying your air conditioning and watching Veronica Mars on thewb.com ... if you want to spend your days like I do, anyway.

Wine: Agua de Piedra Reserva Malbec, Vintage 2010
Price: $8.99
Purchased: Rick's Wine & Gourmet, Alexandria VA