A Pair For Springtime, From Argentina

From Bodega Santa Julia of Mendoza, Argentina, comes a line of wines known as Del Mercado. There is a flagship Malbec which is joined by the Torrontés del Mercado and the Rosé del Mercado.

The 2023 Rosé del Mercado was made from Malbec grapes grown in the Lujan de Cuyo region of the Uco Valley, as were the grapes for the 2022 Torrontés del Mercado. Both wines were made with organic grapes, both clock in at 13.5% abv, both were on sale for $12 at Whole Foods Market, and both come in a big one liter bottle.

The Torrontés appears pale yellow in the glass. The nose has a floral note first, then some citrus minerality, and then a light lanolin salinity. It reminds me a bit of the seashore. The palate carries a brisk acidity and has lemon and stone fruit flavors. The pairing possibilities can reach beyond the salad range and go with risotto, shellfish, and roasted chicken. 

The rosé seems to have more in common with a white wine than a red. The copper color is beautiful. Its nose displays cherry, but with a strong backbeat of citrus minerality. The palate expresses cherry and strawberry, while also bringing a lemony note to the table. The acidity is fabulous, really nice. I paired mine with lemongrass chicken and was delighted. 

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A French Wine For Less Than $10

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a selection of Esprit Cépage wines at my local Whole Foods Market, selling for less than $10. The 2023 Esprit Cépage Blanc is the one I picked up. I’ll probably try the Rouge soon. It's only a dollar more.

The Blanc is made from organic grapes, which are not identified by variety on the label. It is labeled as a Vin de France, the designation which replaced Vin de Table in 2010. There is no specific appellation other than it comes from France as an ordinary, everyday wine. It's a lot like the "California" appellation on a California wine. Sure it's from California, but where? The alcoholic content is 13.5% abv and I paid only $8.

This wine, I believe, is a Grenache Blanc. Some of the info I found online suggested that, and my taste buds agree. If there is a little Sauvignon Blanc in there, I would not be surprised. However, the yellow tint in the glass suggests GB. The nose brings citrus aromas along with apple notes. The palate is rather racy in the acidity department, and the finish leaves stone fruit, lemons, and limes lingering. It's an enjoyable wine and a likely pair with some sort of seafood or salad.

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Blood Of The Vines - Coburn Is King

Pairing‌‌‌ ‌‌‌wine‌‌‌ ‌‌‌with‌‌‌ ‌‌‌movies!‌‌‌  ‌‌‌See‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌hear‌‌‌ ‌‌‌the‌‌‌ ‌‌‌fascinating‌‌‌ ‌‌‌commentary‌‌‌ ‌‌‌for‌‌‌ ‌‌‌these‌‌‌ ‌‌‌‌‌movies‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌and‌‌‌ ‌‌‌many‌‌‌ ‌‌‌more‌,‌‌ ‌‌‌at‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Trailers‌‌‌ ‌‌‌From‌‌‌ ‌‌‌Hell.‌‌‌  This week, we select wine parings for three movies that star James Coburn.

1967's In Like Flint is the sequel to the previous year's Our Man Flint. Both are spy movies, played for laughs. Coburn gives the sort of performance that captivated me as a preteenager. That experience was a great icebreaker when I found myself standing next to Coburn at a Hollywood after-party. I told him I wanted to be Derek Flint when I was younger. He turned his head to look at me. "Still do," I said. He flashed that incredible James Coburn smile as our respective friends came to collect their plus-ones. 

The masculine sexual overtones of the title, In Like Flint, give away the plot. A feminist movement threatens to oust the male population from its ruling capacity. Remember, this was 1967. Things are quite different now. Right?

The pairing for In Like Flint should be something flinty, if that's not too on the nose. A Chablis would be ideal. You can hardly go wrong with that as your ask at the wine store. If you feel more comfortable looking for an actual label, try a Chablis from Louis Jadot. That's about as reliable as it gets in the $20 range.

Coburn scored again in 1967 with The President's Analyst. When we think about the President having an analyst, our thoughts may go to "What analyst? I don't need an analyst! But if I did have an analyst it would be the biggest, most beautiful analyst the world has ever known." And probably blonde.

Although technically a psychiatrist, Adam Arkin's Stanley Keyworth on The West Wing is what I would like the President's analyst to be. Trustworthy, loyal, and loaded with sarcasm. And, able to solve your mental health problem in 42 billable minutes. 

Analyst runs a bit longer, but it doesn’t seem like it. Imagine the secrets an analyst to the president would have. Imagine how many people would like to get those secrets. Imagine the lengths someone would go to for that information. Coburn's character imagines all that, and more. His tangle with The Phone Company is the stuff of which nightmares are made. Of course, today we sweat out what Google knows about us.

Pairing a wine with James Coburn could be as easy as saying "Cockburn's Port." Of course, that works better when you actually say it instead of reading it in print. How about a wine called The Therapist? Imagine how I felt when that fell into my lap. Slate Theory makes the white blend of Muscat Blanc and Muscat Canelli in the Texas Hill Country. $32 gets you well.

Hard Times was Walter Hill's 1975 debut as a director. The film not only has Coburn, but Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, and Strother freaking Martin. The names look great on a marquee or a one-sheet, and the performances are fantastic.

The Depression-era, bare knuckles streetfighter portrayed by Bronson fit right in with Coburn's hustler, a guy by the name of Speed. The south Louisiana setting worked well and critics liked the film enough to scrawl out some kind words about it. The general public was even kinder, giving up their hard-earned dollar bills to see it. 

How could we not enjoy a good ol' Temecula wine with Hard Times, particularly when it is a Bare Knuckle Malbec? Wiens Cellars has it for $65. Don't sell Temecula short. There are some high quality wines being made in Riverside County.

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