12 Jan New varietals for the new year! Jump on the Malbec train with Catena 2015 High Mountain Vines Malbec
It’s 2018!
Time to get out of that chardonnay/pinot noir/red blend rut (though as ruts go, that’s really not such a bad one, but we digress.)
One of my personal New Year’s resolutions is to branch out…to try as many different varietals as possible….to boldly drink where this man has never drunk before. I hope you’ll go along for the ride as there are so many interesting varietals that are gathering dust on the wine shop shelves simply because they aren’t in our normal wine wheelhouse. Inevitably when I do take the plunge, I’ll try a different type of wine, enjoy its unique taste profile and wonder why I’ve passed it by all of these years.
We’re starting with Malbec. I haven’t had a glass of Malbec in decades. So I asked Michael Cerna, the ebullient wine steward at Stadium Fred Meyer, for guidance. He suggested Catena’s 2015 High Mountain Vines and bingo, I’m a Malbec convert.
It’s not just me. We tasted the Catena in the office. Everyone liked the red fruit flavors and the balance. In addition, it’s meets all of the Pat The Wine Guy requirements: it’s a good glass of wine, it’s fairly inexpensive and you can find it all over town.
Speaking of finding, as of January 12, we found Catena 2015 High Mountain Vines Malbec at:
Eastside
Fred Meyer Hollywood $18.99 Fred Meyer Hawthorne $18.99
Safeway Hawthorne $19.99 Safeway NE 69th & Sandy $19.99
Westside
Market of Choice Cedar Mill $18.49 Fred Meyer Walker Road $18.99
Fred Meyer Raleigh Hills $18.99 Fred Meyer Beaverton $18.99
Fred Meyer Stadium $18.99 Bale’s Thriftway Cornell Rd. $19.99
Safeway Cornell Rd. $19.99 QFC Barnes & Miller $19.99
South
Fred Meyer SW Barbur Blvd. $18.99 Fred Meyer Tualatin $18.99
Safeway SW Barbur Blvd. $19.99 Safeway Lake Oswego $19.99