BY JO(v)E I THINK THEY'VE GOT IT!

The wine department huy at the local Trader Joes is surprisingly knowledgeable. I was looking for a Malbec tonight, and was thinking Chile, from whence the first Malbec I ever tried originated, but he steered me to an Argentinian vintage, Bodega Septima (2007), and damned if it wasn't eminently drinkable. Not quite as dry as I expected, even by Malbec standards, and a surprising hint of strawberries among the stonefruit, a mild shock in a wine with so much body and so little a miniscus, but still not a wine to be dismissed lightly, especially for only $10. I paired it with pork, but I daresay it would stand up to some beef dishes (the more casual ones) quite nicely.