Malbec: Beginners Guide to Wine

by Sara Fasolino

Malbec’s masculine tones and its deep, dark color are just two of its many charms. This lush, ripe, tannic wine makes a good companion for a variety of occasions, from a backyard barbecue to your most elegant meal. Sommelier Sara Fasolino takes you through the backstory of this oft-overlooked grape, from its ill-fated days in Bordeaux to how Argentina put it back on the map, turning it into the country’s signature wine. “ Beginners Guide to Wine” offers tips on pricing and pairing, from grilled meats to traditional South American meals, and why its many flavors — including hints of raisins, plum and tobacco — make it a pleasure to drink even on its own.Excerpt from the “Tasting Malbec makes you think of rugged cowboys on horses with lassos herding cattle. This is yet another contradiction of Malbec. It first rose to fame as one of the six noble grapes allowed to be grown in Bordeaux, and it has been partially responsible for some of the world’s finest and most elegant wines. It is also grown in the Cahors region of France where, as a single varietal, it is the star of the region. With a pedigree like that, you would expect something more austere and refined than rustic and rugged.” Malbec1.1.California Rejection1.2.A South American Home1.3.A Test of Horticultural Skill1.4.One Country’s Loss…2.Choosing Malbec2.1.Down Argentina’s Way3.Serving and Enjoying Malbec3.1.A Wine from High to LowAbout the Fasolino, senior beverage manager for Brinker International, oversees the entire beverage inventory for all Chili's and Maggiano's locations. Recognized as a certified sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, a certified specialist of wine by the Society of Wine Educators and as an advanced mixologist, Fasolino is passionate about wine and spirits. And in her role at Brinker, she has truly found her home.Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Fasolino moved to Dallas for her role with Brinker in 2012, and she hasn’t looked back. “I am thankful and humbled every day I come to work and do my job,” Fasolino says. “I am extremely fortunate and grateful.”Fasolino’s experience in the restaurant industry dates back to her college years in Ohio, where she was a server in an area restaurant. Upon graduation from Marietta College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she worked with a beverage marketer and distributor in Ohio before relocating to Chicago, where she was the beverage systems manager at Morton’s The Steakhouse. She now resides in Dallas with her family.

16 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2012