Crios de Susana Balbo 2005 Mendoza Malbec, about $15
There are far fewer female winemakers in the world than there are men, and in Argentina, the ratio is even more skewed. Yet one of the country’s finest winemakers is Susana Balbo, who made wine for other people for 21 years before starting her own winery, Dominio de Plata.
Together with her husband, Pedro Marchevsky, arguably the country’s most knowledgeable vineyard manager, they make a variety of wines, including the affordable Crios de Susana Balbo range. Her malbec – soft and lush with chocolate-rich fruit – is a terrific choice for this bridge season, where one day you might be grilling steaks in the backyard and the next you may be shoveling snow.
Imported by Vine Connections, Sausalito, Calif.; vineconnections.com|Tara Q. Thomas
