For about $10, Argentina malbecs are America’s go-to red wine

In today’s wine market, very few red wines can compete with Argentine malbecs on quality to price ratio. Argentina has a global reputation for making delicious malbec wines at low prices, as with this sappy, bargain from the country’s second-oldest winery. It may seem strange that such good, satisfying wines are still carrying the same prices they did in the ‘90s, while so many other wine prices have increased. The main reason Argentine malbec is America’s go-to red at the $10 price point is that Argentina’s economy has suffered though a hundred years of turmoil, debt crises, and currency devaluations. This puts the nation in a position of weakness during global financial storms, making it harder to charge more for their wine.

Despite these issues, Argentine vintners are blessed by mother nature. The arid eastern flanks of the Andes provide fertile ground for vineyards and the cloud-free skies that red grapes crave. Only in recent decades have efforts been made to modernize wine production. A drive to improve quality is leading more vineyards to be planted at higher altitudes, which provides a double bonus for malbec lovers. Altitude lowers temperature but also intensifies sunlight, allowing the flavor compounds in dark grape skins to achieve maximum ripeness while preserving natural acidity and suppressing excess sugars to achieve flavorful yet balanced wines like this one. Deep, dark, and tinged with purple, this mid-weight, unoaked malbec delivers an impressive degree of bright blueberry and black cherry fruit with an earthy undercurrent reminiscent of roasted beets.

PLCB Item #9289

Sale price through Oct. 30, regularly $11.99

Also available at: Canal’s in Mount Ephraim, $8.09, mycanals.com; Martin’s Liquors in Mount Laurel, $11.99, martinsliquorsonline.com