If You Like Merlot, You’ll Love Malbec (Red wine alternatives for Merlot, Argentinian red wines tasted and reviewed, reasonably priced red wine)

Show Notes

Episode 43: If You Like Merlot, You’ll Love Malbec (Red wine alternatives for Merlot, Argentinian red wines tasted and reviewed, reasonably priced red wine)  00:00

Hello! And welcome to the Wine Pair podcast. I’m Joe, your sommelier of reasonably priced wine, and this is my wife and wine-pairing partner in crime - Carmela. And we are the Wine Pair.

Ok, really quick, for new listeners to our Podcast - what we do in every episode is - we taste and review three wines that are reasonably priced - which means under $20 - and that you should be able to easily find in a local store or online, to help you find and discover new wines.  Our goal is to have some fun, learn about some new wines you may want to try, maybe laugh a little bit, and expand your wine horizons and take some of the stuffy and the boring out of wine.

This week, we are talking to you out there in listening land who love big red wines like Merlot, and are looking for some other red wines you may want to try but have been afraid to! And today we going to talk to you about a wine that seems to be growing in popularity, but is still playing second or third (or maybe fifth fiddle) to the most popular wines in the US and across the world. That wine is called Malbec! And, it’s a wine that we have started to drink a little more often, too, so how about that?

Now, I tried to do a little research on the interwebs to find out what the most popular wine varietals in the world are. And, for those of you who may be confused by the term varietal, I just mean the type of grapes that go into a wine. We have to be a little careful to say varietal because many European wines - like Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rioja, Chianti, Barolo, or Soave which we talked about in our last episode - go by the name of their region rather than by the name of the grape or grapes in the wine. Which can be confusing. I mean, I find it confusing. 

So, in researching the most popular wines, there was an overwhelming number of different sources for information I found - some were survey based, some were sales based, but I decided to go with a source that was about volume, and this source lists the top 10 most widely grown grape varietals in the world. I found it on a website called the London Wine Competition who got their data from a group called the International Organization of Vine and Wine which all sounds very official so I figured even if it’s wrong it sounds like it’s legit -  and I have a link in our show notes along with links to lots of other sources. Fun fact, did you know that there are over 10,000 grape varietals?!? That means we can do an episode a week for about the next 200 years. So, get ready!

This is their top 10 grape varietals by volume, and these are pretty consistently the most popular across most of the sources I looked at. Any guesses first?

• Cabernet Sauvignon, 840,000 acres (340,000 hectares)
• Merlot, 657,300 acres (266,000 hectares)
• Tempranillo, 570,800 acres (231,000 hectares)
• Airén, 538 700 acres (218 000 hectares) - most planted wine in Spain used in brandy
• Chardonnay, 518,900 acres (211,000 hectares)
• Syrah, 470 000 acres (190,000 hectares)
• Grenache Noir, 402,780 acres (163,000 hectares)
• Sauvignon Blanc, 299 000 acres (121,000 hectares)
• Pinot Noir, 285,000 acres (115,000 hectares)
• Trebbiano Toscano / Ugni Blanc, 274,300 acres (111,000 hectares) - from Italy, mostly used in balsamic vinegar and brandy

So, the top two on that list are not a surprise to me at all. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot seem to me to dominate the selection of wine you can find in most wine shops or store wine sections. And, as I have said many times, I know that there are people out there that love Cabernet Sauvignon and love Merlot, especially the big, bold kind that is typically grown in the US, but these are not my favorite styles of wine. And that’s ok. That is not to say that my taste is right and people who love those wines are wrong. But, I do think that in many ways supply influences demand in our country when it comes to wine, and so I think there are lots of opportunities for people to branch out a bit and find some other wines that they may like just as much, or even more.

For people who like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec can be a really good option to try - a way to brand out into something different, and to find some other wines that you may really like. I know for myself, I have found Malbec to be a wine that I enjoy, and the nice thing is that you can find some really nice, inexpensive Malbecs pretty easily. In fact, a Malbec that I really like right now is the Costco Kirkland Brand Malbec which I think is a pretty nice wine. 

So, in a minute, we’ll talk about why Malbec is a good option for Merlot lovers and Cab lovers and taste and review a few . . . 

But first . . . we have to do our shameless plug, right Carmela? If you like what you are hearing, we would love for you to subscribe to our podcast, and we would also really appreciate it if you would leave us a 5 star rating and review so that people who may stumble upon us will tune in to our podcast. 

If you want to reach out to us with ideas, or thoughts, or just to talk - you can DM us on Instagram at thewinepairpodcast or contact us on our website thewinepairpodcast.com.

And, as we do every week, we’ll tell you someone we think you should tell about The Wine Pair Podcast, and this week we would like you to tell anyone you know who is a Merlot fan or someone you know who is from or has been to Argentina. I mean, this episode was custom made for them, so reach out to those folks and let them know that you have found this awesome podcast they should listen to!

ARTICLES

• https://usawineratings.com/en/blog/insights-1/top-wine-varietals-of-the-usa-in-terms-of-sales-208.htm#:~:text=%20Here%E2%80%99s%20a%20rundown%20of%20the%20top%2010,from%20the%20Pinot%20Gris%20have%20many...%20More%20 
• https://www.bhg.com/news/popular-wines/ 
• https://londonwinecompetition.com/en/blog/insights-1/how-the-worlds-top-10-grape-varieties-dominate-sales-of-wine-470.htm 
• https://www.statista.com/statistics/955894/most-grown-wine-grape-varieties-worldwide/ 
• https://lizthachmw.com/winestars/overview-of-2020-us-wine-market-stats-and-10-hot-wine-trends-for-2021/ 
• https://www.oiv.int/
• https://www.datecalculator.org/years-to-weeks
• https://winefolly.com/grapes/airen/ 
• https://winefolly.com/grapes/trebbiano-toscano/ 

Topic: Merlot vs. Malbec: Similarities and Differences 08:30

Ok, so let’s talk about why Malbec is a good option for Merlot lovers. Now, I am sure there are a number of people out there in listening land who will say, hey, I already know about Malbec and I like it, because it is a wine that has been growing in popularity. But I thought it would be fun to talk about it in terms of similarity to the taste profile to another wine that people like in Merlot just to examine why it is a wine that people like. Whaddya say?!?

I  will just say, too, that I have put together a blog post on our website where I created a chart that shows how different red wines are related to each in aspects like body, acidity, tannin, and primary fruit flavor. In that chart, I show how there are many similarities between Merlot and Malbec.

So, here is how I would describe Merlot and compare it to Malbec. First, Merlot is a 

• Big bodied
• Medium high tannin
• Medium acid
• Cherry and plum as the primary fruit flavors and aromas

Malbec is

• Bold bodied (bigger than Merlot)
• Medium tannin (a little less than Merlot)
• Medium acid (about the same as Merlot)
• Red plum and blackberry as the primary flavors and aromas

It is really important to note that, like all wines, where the grape is grown is going to make a big difference in the taste and experience of the wine. What are some of those things, Carmela, do you think?  It’s kind of hard to overstate, but things like the amount of sun and heat, the soil, the length of the growing season - these all affect the flavors of the grapes. In wine nerd terms, this is known as terrior (pronounced ter-wah, but looks like terrier) 

In addition, how the wine is created also matters - like if oak is used, and the type of oak barrels that are used, how early or late the grapes are picked, how careful the winemaker is in selecting grapes, how long the wines are stored before bottling,  etc. 

I would also say that a lot of the comparison we are making is based on how these wines are created and taste in the new world, and specifically with Malbec, grapes grown in Argentina. Kind of like us. We are of Italian background, but made in the new world!

In terms of similarities, here are some:

• Both are red - how about that! - and dry
• Both are considered to be very fruit forward. That means that you get a kick of fruit in the first taste
• Both have strong dark fruit flavors - like black cherry, and strong red fruit flavors like plum, and both can have chocolate, spicy, and vanilla flavors

In terms of differences, here are some:

• Malbec can be a deeper, darker purple than Merlot. So, while color is not really a specific indication of taste, the color of deeper reds indicate that the wine may have more tannin and less acidity. Generally. But not always. So, how’s that?!? And wines can change color as they age, but that’s a whole other story. 
• Malbec can be said to have a little more “structure” than Merlot. That’s a total wine geek term. What do you think that might mean? It means a little bigger bodied, and slightly firmer tannins versus softer tannins and less body and alcohol in Merlot. What does firm tannins mean? It is something you get a feeling for in your mouth. Does the wine feel like it has “grip” in your mouth, or does it feel flabby or like it just sort of coats your mouth?
• Malbec can actually usually be higher in alcohol than Merlot, which can sometimes mean that its alcohol level balances out the tannin in the wine better. 

Wines with more tannin in them make our mouth feel dry, wines with more body make our mouths feel more full, and wines that are more acid make our mouths salivate a little more. And wines with high alcohol but lower tannin relative to the alcohol can feel hot - which means we really taste the alcohol. Which is usually not super pleasant. 

So, what does all of this mean? I would say the Malbec is more likely to be a smoother, rounder, and maybe firmer wine - almost like you can sink your teeth into it - while Merlot would be a little hotter, jammier, flabbier (all over your mouth) and more “in your face” wine. In general. Very general. And, again, these are Malbecs from Argentina, which we are tasting today, and they are considered a bit softer wines than those grown in France. 

As usual, we have a ton of links and articles in our show notes, so just head on over to our website - the wine pair podcast dot com - and check them out. 


ARTICLES

• https://wineomark.com/malbec-vs-merlot/
• https://royal-glass.com/blog/malbec-vs-merlot/
• https://www.thewinepairpodcast.com/blog/handy-chart-to-help-you-find-wines-similar-to-ones-you-like
• https://www.totalwine.com/discover/learn/malbec-vs-merlot#:~:text=Merlot%20and%20Malbec%20are%20both,%2C%20spices%2C%20and%20sometimes%20vanilla. 
• https://www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-about-alcohol-content-in-wine-highest-to-lowest-abv-wines 
• https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/know-a-wine-just-by-looking-at-the-color/ 

The Malbec Wines we chose for this episode 16:08

Let’s talk a little bit about the wines we chose for this episode. As I mentioned, all of the wines we are trying today are single varietal Malbecs from Argentina. And all of them I was able to find at our local QFC stores, which is part of the Kroger grocery store chain. Argentina grows the most Malbec in the world, but France also grows a lot of it, and Chile actually grows quite a bit as well. 

In France, it is best known for being from Cahors, Bordeaux, and the Loire Valley. In Bordeaux, it is one of six grapes that can make up a Bordeaux blend, and it is often blended with Merlot and Petit Verdot. In Cahors, Malbec can sometimes be bottled on its own, but it is also commonly combined with Merlot or Tannat. Malbec in Cahors, also known as Cot, is a different wine than the Argentinian - leany, more acidic, and less fruit-forward. It is also a wine that can be chilled, which I don’t think you would do with an Argentinian Malbec.

In Argentina, as we mentioned before, Malbec tends to be smooth, velvety, and softer than its French brothers and sisters. 

Don’t cry for me Argentina

All of the Malbecs we are tasting today are not only from Argentina, but they are also all from the Mendoza region of Argentina. Argentina grows ~75% of the Malbec wine grapes in the world. Malbec, despite having decent tannins, tends not to be an overly oaked wine, and it does really well at higher elevations. 

And high elevations is where the magic of Mendoza comes in. 

Most wine grapes in the world are not grown over 3,000 feet, but in Mendoza, which is in the Andes, the average altitude of grape growing is at about 3,000 or 900 meters, and some vineyards are at higher elevation. Which makes a huge impact on the taste and experience of the wine. 

Why do you think high elevation may matter, Carmela?

What this higher elevation does is keep the temperature down while maintaining a lot of sunlight, and especially at night, the temperature goes down, which has a positive effect on the acidity of the wine. This is something similar that I have experienced in Mexico. I have been to Mexico City several times - it is one of my favorite cities - and I always expect it to be really hot. But, it is actually at almost 7,500 feet, and so it is just not as hot as cities that are at lower altitude but in similar latitudes. There’s lots of sun, and lots of solar radiation, but not as much heat, and nights can get cool. 

The soil is also different, more rocky, looser, and sandier (called Alluvial soil) and so drains really well. Drainage is important because it helps keep the plant from getting waterlogged, which improves the quality of the grapes. While I can’t claim to be any kind of expert in any of this, let’s just say that the terroir of the grapes in Argentina is hugely influential in the way the wine tastes, and probably why I like the Argentinian Malbec so much. 

Again, we have a bunch of links to articles and other information in our show notes, so head over to our website and look for the page for this episode. 

Ok, enough with this jibber jabber - should we stop talking and start drinking? 


Articles

• https://www.winespectator.com/articles/malbec-57808
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malbec
• https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/what-grape-varieties-make-up-a-bordeaux-blend/ 
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadvari/2019/06/03/cahors-the-other-malbec-wine-region/?sh=332fa8cd72fc 
• https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/what-is-malbec-wine/ 
• http://www.wineanorak.com/Argentina/argentina1_altitude.htm 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alluvium 
• https://www.sommwine.com/soil-type/#:~:text=The%20number%20one%20most%20important,of%20the%20vine%20during%20droughts.

Malbec wine tasting and review 21:45

Wine: Alamos Malbec (Click here to buy this wine - NOTE: this links to a different vintage. Affiliate link)
Region: Argentina, Mendoza
Producer: Alamos Wines
Year: 2020
Price: $10.99
Retailer: QFC (Kroger)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Malbec
Professional Rating: JS 91, RP 90

What we tasted and smelled in this Malbec: Smoky, cherry, clay or dirt, cherry juice, stewed cherry, sour cherry, underripe cherry.
Food pairing with this Malbec: Burgers, red meat, barbecue

As a reminder on our rating scale, we rate on a scale of 1-10, where 7 and above means that we would buy it, and 4 and below means that we are likely to pour it down the sink, and in-between we are likely to drink it and finish it, but we are probably not going to buy it.

Rating:
Joe: 7/10
Carmela: 6/10

Wine: Chalkboard Malbec
Region: Argentina, Mendoza
Producer: Chalkboard Wines
Year: 2020
Price: $9.99
Retailer: QFC (KRoger)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Malbec

What we tasted and smelled in this Malbec: Cherry, plum, prune, sweet red licorice, alcohol aftertaste, bitter aftertaste, vanilla, oaky, not jammy, not bold. Leaving a film in the mouth.
Food pairing with this Malbec: Need something to tame the taste. Bread and crackers.

Rating:
Joe: 3/10
Carmela: 4/10


Wine: Catena Malbec (Click here to buy this wine - affiliate link)
Region: Argentina, Mendoza
Producer: Bodega Catena Zapata
Year: 2019
Price: $19.99
Retailer: QFC (Kroger)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Grapes: Malbec
Professional Rating: RP 92

What we tasted and smelled in this Malbec: Clay, stewed cherry, stewed plum,leather, smoke, wood, spice, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, complex, young, chewy, smooth.
Food pairing with this Malbec: Red meat, steak frites, Beecher's cheddar cheese, salami and crackers. More elegant wine.

Rating:
Joe: 8/10
Carmela:  7/10


Which one of these are you finishing tonight?
Carmela: Alamos
Joe: Catena

How do you feel about Malbec as an alternative to Merlot?
If you are a Merlot drinker, you should try it. Comparable, so you may find it a good alternative.

Taste profiles expected from Argentinian Malbec:  41:33

Black cherry, red plum, boysenberry, red pepper flake, prune, pomegranate, plum, sugar plum, raspberry, raspberry leaf, and raisin. There are also hints of coffee, mocha, leather, sweet tobacco, molasses, and black pepper.

From the Alamos website

• Pronounced notes of black cherry and blackberry integrate with finely grained spice and vanilla oak. Notes of wild berries and round tannins fill out the palate, leading to a long and velvety smooth finish with a touch of dried herbs

From the Chalkboard website

• concentrated plum and black currant flavors topped with spicy cinnamon and nutmeg notes.

From Catena

• Deep aromas of ripe red and dark fruits are joined by delicate violet and lavender notes, with traces of vanilla and mocha. A rich, concentrated mouthfeel is highlighted by flavors of blueberries and blackberries with a touch of leather and cinnamon. The wine has well-integrated tannins, bright acidity and a flinty minerality that provides exceptional length to the finish.

Outro and how to find us 44:55

As always, thank you so very much for listening to us, The Wine Pair, and you know, while you’re thinking about it, we think you should subscribe and give us a nice rating! 

We would also love to hear from you. Please reach out to us on our website thewinepairpodcast.com, you can email us at joe@thewinepairpodcast.com, you can follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and we would be so happy if you DM’ed us and told us what you think, if you have ideas for future episodes or wines you are curious about or wine styles you are interested in or ways of growing wines you are curious about! And, we hope you tell your friends and family and loved ones and your mom and everyone who ever said anything nice to you about us!

Thanks for listening to the Wine Pair podcast, and we will see you next time. And, as we say, life is short, so stop drinking shitty wine