Summer wine 2020: the best and delicious ideas

Stuck on Rosé or buttery Chardonnay?  Whittling down your many options can be overwhelming; here are a few affordable and delicious ideas to help guide your palate and jumpstart your wine journey; we’ve even added pairing propositions:

Norton Malbec Reserva 2018: This elegant, complex, and intense Argentinian wine is made from 30 to 50-year-old vines. Expressive with ripe black fruits, violets, spices, and tobacco, it is wide and fleshy with a lingering finish. Rich umami foods like flank steak risk steering a wine towards bitterness and astringency, but this wine has plenty of concentrated fruit flavors, smooth tannins, and a full body to complement its savory meat. Try it with Carne Asada, marinated in a blend of citrus juices, cumin, and other spices and then simply grilled.

Don Olegario Albariño 2018: This single-vineyard white from Rías Baixas, Spain’s most renowned Albariño growing region, is medium-bodied and shows opulent, powerful aromas and flavors of citrus, flowers, and tropical notes. Its bright fruit and citrus flavors with undertones of herbs is the perfect combo for Tacos de Pescado, served piping hot and topped with flavorful condiments such as tangy veggies, creamy and rich crema, and avocado.

Infamous Goose Sauvignon Blanc 2019: This fresh, high-quality Sauvignon Blanc is from the cool-climate Marlborough region of New Zealand’s South Island. With aromas of lime zest and distinctive passion fruit, the palate features crisp acidity and an abundance of tropical and citrus flavors. Pair this wine with marinated and shredded Chicken Tinga with pickled onions and a squeeze of lime. The zing of the wine will balance flavorful marinades and not fall flat.

Montes Alpha Carmenère 2018: This well-balanced wine from Chile’s Colchagua Valley is structured with soft tannins. An intense nose of ripe blackberries, figs, and dried plums are complemented by notes of spicy nutmeg, black pepper, tobacco, leather, and subtle balsamic and dark chocolate aromas. The wine’s full body, fruitiness, and slight sensation of sweetness from aging in French oak stand up well to Tacos al Pastor – marinated pork with a heady blend of chilies and spices, and topped with chunks of pineapple for a sweet, tangy kick.