The good thing about writing this column is that I get to meet so many readers at wine bars or in the wine aisles at grocery stores. Everyone seems to agree with my selections, which is a good thing.
Now the price, that's a different matter.
I assure you that my liver is working overtime to find the best wine at an affordable price. But good googly goo, man! You can only go so low.
Some guy stopped me last week and asked me for a list of my favorite wines under $8. Holy crow! Even Two Buck Chuck is selling around $5 for cry eye.
How does a great wine for $8.99 sound? Trapiche Malbec from Argentina is a tremendous value.
The grapes are sourced from vineyards at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. My first sip was pretty amazing. Loved the blueberry and elderberry flavors followed by a bit of a velvety finish.
It was perfect with a hunk of Cabot Clothbound cheddar cheese from Vermont, which I found at Heinen's in Twinsburg. I love that cheese department. The wine is also good with chips and pico de gallo from the Market District in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
I love to cook. But on this day, I couldn't resist the smell of the St. Louis ribs cooking on the grill outside the Market District. Those fall-off-the-bone ribs were perfect with the malbec. The bottle is even a screw top, so I didn't have to pull a cork or cook that night.
