After lots of wonderful thanks and fun comments, we hit two listener questions:
1. What's the etiquette of sharing good wine with people who may not appreciate it? GREAT question and we have an answer that should provide a sigh of relief for you.
2. What exactly is minerality in normal people terms? We hit on some ideas, and suggest licking rocks...
3. And importantly, when is "Wine for Normal People" the book coming out? Yes, Virginia, you can put it on your Christmas wish-list next year!
Then we get to the matter at hand! Click here for a link to the episode.
And a few summary points:
- We talk about the grape and its many challenges in the vineyard.
- We discuss the main styles of Malbec ('cause it isn't just Argentina)
- Then we hit on history and the regions where the grape grows or has grown in the past:
o France: Bordeaux, Cahors (where it's often called Côt), the Loire, and it's very strange place of origin and complete identity crisis
o Then we hit on the big gun in Malbec: Argentina. We talk about how it got there, and why it's so different from the French version.
- We hit on a few up and coming regions and talk about our wish for a great future ahead for the grape!
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Very excited to dive into my first Malbec (Argentina) after hearing this podcast. Super fruity, with very delightful, subtle tannins! Day 2 was not as fabulous yet still drinkable. Day 3 just plain nasty. I use a Vignon decanting pourer and vacuum stopper. What gives and how long should one expect a bottle to tastefully last? (I had a glass of Cote de Ventoux from Trader Joe's that had been opened for over a week and it was great. Not sure if it matters, but it was a screw top.)
ReplyDeleteHi Cheryl!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you tried it. Gotta say, I've had the same exact experience with Argentinean Malbec. It dies after day 1, and sometimes even after an hour or two of being open. The oxygen just kills the fruit and the wine doesn't have enough tannin or acid (it's a very medium wine, normally) to preserve it. Warmer climate wines often have lower tannin and acid, and the winemakers, to make the wine taste better, sometimes do a process called "micro-oxygenation" which makes it more drinkable right away. The problem is, all these factors lead to a wine that can't last once exposed to oxygen (more on this in this in Episode 68, where we address a listener question).
The Cote du Ventoux generally, and European wines more globally because the weather is cooler and the grapes preserve more acid & tannin, should last longer given its makeup.
Don't write off Malbec altogether though! It may not last but it's a good hedonistic pleasure when you have friends over who can help finish the bottle! And there's always Cahors!
Thanks for listening and writing,
Elizabeth