2010 Antucura Malbec

I'll by pass the color of the wine being that you might be able to take a shot in the dark at the color. Yup..red tones. The nose was pretty nice in that it was heading toward dried flowers and rich nutrients. Red vine fruit were also laying around as well. The finish was pretty decent in that it was smooth and balanced but wanted to lay around for a bit. Seemed to not want to go away. Good spices on the end as well. I like it and for only $15 per bottle she will be great to have with some nice meats or even a meat pizza. Imported by Unique.

2009 Vina Cobos Felino Cabernet Sauvignon

Pretty dark in color with hints of wet herbs, earth and light powdered chocolate. There seemed to be a bit of a bite in the middle then it went away. Pretty light in the finish as it was not a heavy wine but really really soft. Not bad. Carries a price tag of $18 Imported by Unique.

2010 Arido Malbec

This is one of those sleepers that should be kept on the down-low so we can have it around for a bit. Although after I introduce this to a few people I'm sure the word will spread and it will go fast. With a price tag of $10 this little betty is great. Soft on the nose and soft on the palate. Good earth notes with a hint of red fruit lingering around. Pretty good acidity and balance. It's funny that some people in the States charge $50 for a wine like this. Screw that shit! I'd buy this over those any day of the week!

Imported by Unique.

2009 Vina Cobos Felino Chardonnay

Straw in color with some good light almond and citrus notes. Acidity seemed a bit high and on the palate there was a light dry grass note. Acidity did creep up on the finish while the alcohol packed a punch. It was nice but nothing I would drink for my daily use. Decent price at $16. Imported by Unique.

Should we post wine scores in the store?

I often talk about people chasing wine scores in order to get the so-called best wine they can find. While many of these wines have been rated by a critic who will give them a point between 1 and 100, I have come to the conclusion that my shop will not have these points posted. Just this weekend, I overheard a wine shop owner (yes, I visit a lot of different wine shops and a few are even owned by friends) saying that this certain wine was great cause it got 94 points! I wanted to ask: "Why is it that great?" and "If they had tasted it yet?" I did happen to know that particular wine and its quality, but I was curious if that was the only reason it was on the shelf?

I used to work in a wine shop years ago where the manager would walk around with her Parker book like it was the Bible and tell people that this wine got this score, and that this wine over here got this, but I always wanted to know what she (the manager) thought of it.

I have always followed this rule since I got into the wine world that you should never lie to your customers, and if they know more than you, pick their brain. Just because I own a wine shop does not mean I know everything. God do I wish, but there is so much to learn and it will take a lifetime for me to learn it. While visiting other wine shops I have been called on to answer a question from a customer and if I know the answer, I'll do it but if I have no clue...I'll tell them or take my best educated guess!

Next time you walk into a wine shop, look around and take note of the scores that are on the shelves. Is that wine merchant selling his own personal wine thoughts or is he using another's? Do you walk in and say, "Hey, I'm looking for a nice 94 pointer?" or do you say "I'm looking for a nice wine that will go with fried SPAM?". Yes, Spam...I can pair it with an amazing wine that will taste great.

When you go into a wine shop, would you rather see a point score near a wine or a personal tasting note from the staff, owner or even a customer of the shop?

15 days and counting.

Santo