Sips & Swallows

From Around The Wine World

*The past year has seen the arrival of two significant new players in the selection process of wine drinking Americans.

Argentine Malbec has become the new red wine of choice in wine shops and restaurants across the US. The Malbec grape was mainly used around the world as a blending grape. It has found a home as Argentina’s signature red wine, however.

Malbec wines are usually medium to full-bodied and rich with black fruit flavors. They can be found in all price ranges and almost always deliver excellent bang for the buck.

The sparkling wine from northern Italy called Prosecco has also hit the big time in the wine world. The combination of its reasonable price compared to Champagne, as well as its slightly fruity character, has seen it increase in popularity by leaps and bounds.

*It is still hard to judge the impact of our current economic state on the fine wine market. The world’s most famous wines have definitely seen their prices fall among collectors.

On a day to day basis, however, prices for everyday wines seem to be relatively unchanged. If wineries and distributors start to see their older vintages not selling as well as in previous years, with newer vintages becoming available, the market could change drastically.

*Organic wines are now an accepted category in today’s wine market. Just a couple of years ago, wine shoppers had to search for organic wines. Now, wineries around the world are committed to growing their grapes with no chemical intervention.

Wineries are realizing that they can make excellent wines without pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Wine shoppers now have a plethora of organic wines to choose from in every category and style.

(Newtown resident and oenophile Steve Small is the general manager at Yankee Wine & Spirits on Queen Street.)