Funky Llama Malbec 2008

Tonight's selection is consumed in honor of my new neighborhood. Mike praised our new hometown in a recent post and I'd like to offer my own praise, more specifically to the great people who live on our street. I raise this third glass of mine to all those who have invited us over for backyard drinks and afternoon happy hours. To my supreme delight and Mike's hilarious despair, it hasn't just been one household on the block extending these delicious invites; it seems like the entire block partakes of the bubbly on a regular basis. Wine For The Cheap has found a perfect home!

Did I say third glass? Because I really meant fourth. This is one seriously fantastic malbec. A woman I work with in my pay-the-bills job recommended it to me a while back and I confess that it didn't really appeal to me at first. It's a brand that I see in a lot of grocery stores and I confess to have turned my nose up to its common-ness. Is that a word? (Mike will kill me for blogging when I'm this drunk. Good lord I can barely type!) Well, any sense of superiority went out the window at the grocery store today when I found myself searching for that aisle of free products and free wines. Needless to say, I didn't find that aisle and I didn't purchase a bottle. The Funky Llama had caught my eye at $6.99 but that was still too steep a price for me. I decided to use the $15 left in my checking account (yes, $15--I just purchased a house dammit) for actual food and nourishment. Surprised? Yeah, me too. Damn those maternal instincts. If it wasn't for my daughter, I would have just come home with a couple bottles of wine and considered that dinner. Luckily, there are two bank accounts in this relationship. I knew Mike would make a wine run when I came home empty-handed. Thanks Dear! This was the best malbec I've tasted in a long time!

If you haven't been a fan of malbecs but are willing to give it another shot, pick up this Funky Llama. I never considered myself a fan prior to this bottle. It's a sharp red wine but it doesn't leave that aftertaste that I have found most malbecs to have. Normally I prefer to have a beer (gasp!) when we grill, but this malbec was well-suited to the grilled chicken and vegetables we had for dinner tonight. This is probably the best summer wine I've tasted all season. Suits the atmosphere. I'll have to bring it to the next neighborhood Happy Hour!


9 out of 10.


Bloom, $6.99