Argentina's Malbec vs Australia's Shiraz vs. California's Zinfandel

Wine

A Three-Varietal Smackdown!

Argentina's Malbec vs.
Australia's Shiraz vs.
California's Zinfandel.

by Fred McMillin

At San Francisco City College (Ft. Mason campus) we held a large blind tasting of affordable ($15 maximum) bottles with these results.

We called the best our—

NIFTY NINE

On Wine: Rankings
These three were rated GOOD:
RANK	WINE	DETAILS
9th	MALBEC	Merlot blend, Falling Star, Argentina, 2004, $5
8th	SHIRAZ	Red Belly, Angove's, Australia, 2004, $12
7th	SHIRAZ	McLaren Vale, Tyrrell's, Australia, 2002, $11


These three were rated VERY GOOD:
RANK	WINE	DETAILS
6th	ZINFANDEL	Reserve, Shenandoah of California, Amador County, 2002, $10
5th	ZINFANDEL	Bargetto, Lodi, 2004, $14
4th	MALBEC	Don Miguel, Pasternak Imports, 2003, $12


These three were rated EXCELLENT:
RANK	WINE	DETAILS
3rd	MALBEC	Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon, Pasternak Imports, 2004, $13
2nd	ZINFANDEL	Shooting Star, Mendocino, 2002, $12
1st	ZINFANDEL	Heritage Clones, Dry Creek Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, 2003, $15

Comments

ZINFANDEL: A 6th, 5th, 2nd and 1st ranking. As in prior studies, this grape makes the best buy reds in the $10 to $15 range.

MALBEC: This just in—ON WINE reader Simone Laplante asked what to taste when visiting Argentina. Of course we said MALBEC. Simone reports the current releases down there are DELICIOUS.

SHIRAZ: We found some excellent bottles but they were above our $15 price limit.

QUESTION: Who first said the wine of SHIRAZ was the best of Persia?

ANSWER: Genghis Khan c.1229 AD. I probably am the only living wine writer who has sipped SHIRAZ wine in the town of SHIRAZ. The year was 1972 and the wine was REELY, REELY robust.

A Parting Gourmet Grin

Fred McMillin

About the Writer

Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He was voted one of the U.S.A's 22 Best wine writers by the Academy of Wine Communications. For information about the wine courses he teaches every month at San Francisco City College (Fort Mason Division), please fax him at (415) 567-4468.

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This page created October 2007

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