Good Argentine Wine On A Budget

I wouldn´t by any means call myself a wine connoisseur. Far from it. But this is wine-rich Argentina, and I do enjoy drinking wine but don´t usually have tons of money to spend on it. I always find myself in my local chino (supermarket usually run by Chinese descents) gawking at the wine assortment, wondering if there is really such a thing as decent affordable wine (and I´m not talking about the cheap wine you chugged out of a box in college, nor would I be judging you for chugging wine out of a box in college…it´s just I´ve grown out of that phase in my life…I think).

Sometimes I make the right choice, but sometimes it all goes terribly wrong. In those rare moments when I do pick the right one, I can never remember the name the next go-around. So after a bit of online research, talking to friends, and a price-checking trip to the chino, here´s a sampling of recommended wines that won´t break the bank and hopefully won´t end up getting dumped down the drain.

AR$15 or less
Gato Negro Malbec – $12.90*
El Vasco Viejo – $9.50

AR$16-20
Aberdeen Angus Clasico $15.75
Trapiche Malbec – $18.50*
Callia Malbec/Shiraz – $18.90
Quara Torrontes – $19
Los Arboles – $19.50*

AR$21-30
Uxmal – $26
San Felipe – $26.50*
Postales del Fin del Mundo – $26.75*
Gascon – $27.50

AR$31-40
Fond de Cave – $34.80
Alamos Malbec – $36
Norton Cabernet – $37.50
Nieto Senetiner Malbec – $40

AR$41-50
Trumpeter – $45
Terrazas – $50

*these are the ones I´ve personally tried, and give my own wine knowledge-less approval.

Note: Prices are for references only as every place has different mark up, and most of all, inflation is quite rampant in Argentina.

Kelly