Colonia
2004 Mendoza Las Liebres Bonarda
(Imported by Giuliana Imports, Boulder; about $10)
Some Italian imports have been around for so long that we tend to forget where they’ve come from. That’s a bit how it is with bonarda, a grape that’s been grown in Argentina for decades. Until recently, it was used primarily as a bulk wine grape, to make the sort of quaffers found by the carafe in Italian restaurants throughout Argentina.
Now, winemakers are paying it more attention, and a few are making wines like Colonia Las Liebres. As juicy as it is purple, and as plummy as a bushel of the fruit freshly-pressed, it should be a house staple at $8 to $10. It’s also one of the bargains on the list at Table 6, and terrific with everything from the all-American chicken-and-egg dish to the slightly Moroccan-tinged lamb with chickpeas.
-Tara Q. Thomas
