Wine Wednesday: Bonarda

Have you ever had a bottle of Bonarda or Charbono? They are the same grape depending on wether you are in Argentina or France, respectively. I admit to generally discounting Bonarda as a blending grape; until this week.

Bonarda is another one of those French grapes that is flourishing in Argentina, similar to the superstar, Malbec. On a recent wine whirlwind in South America, I learned a lot  about Bonarda and how many producers are adding it to Malbec in higher percentages. Its the second most planted grape in Argentina and apparently it's the next big thing, or clever marketers are trying to make us believe it is.

And now Bonarda is the new "house wine" for my brother and sister-in-law. For wine Wednesday, we got geeky and did a blind test of two bottles from Mendoza, Argentina; Tercos and La Posta. Tercos smelled musty, tasted a bit leathery with dark fruit but didn't have much of a finish. The La Posta smelled lighter than it tasted with a bit of a cherry cola nose. This wine had more flavors of dark berries and a longer finish. Being a frequent buyer of Tercos, my brother said it generally tastes better after being open a day, as do many wines. It was a close contest, but La Posta won the taste test. Both are in the $15 range and both are good food wines.

Do you have a favorite Bonarda to recommend? Happy Wine Wednesday!