The foreign contenders for part two of the Masters of Wine.

The leaders at this point come from Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, and Australia. All of these countries have along history of producing great wines, and we are now seeing some terrific values, making these countries wines even more sought after. So without further fanfare lets get started.

Argentina has been producing wonderful wines for over 100 years. With the currency issues making these wines even more approachable at wonderful prices. In the value priced reds one of my all time favorites still leads the packed in the under $10 field. Tapiz Malbec, filled with dark fruit and smoky notes, perfectly balanced. This is the king of beef grapes and this wine makes big tracks as an every day red wine. Now for the big boys, Catena Malbec ($20.00) and Chardonnay ($19.00). The Malbec is an intense fruit bomb full of black cheery and earthy notes, in a single word WOW! The chardonnay is a wonderful creamy delight with layers of tropical fruit flavors. These wines beckon for more attention and are natural winners from this country.

France is long known for classic wines and has the pedigree to show for this title. In the white section a true favorite is Chablis. Tired of oaked Chardonnay flavors and looking for a wine that showcases all the natural characteristics of the grape, than Chablis is the answer.  There are many great importers of this classic wine and the best way to find one is to ask your favorite wine store. Some importers that consistently bring in treasures are; B&G, Latour and Robert Katcher. In the red category my personal favorite is Cotes Du Rhone, filled with many characteristics of California Pinot Noir, this wine offers fruit packed light flavors with just the right amount of earthiness. I would also use many of the importers listed previously.

Germany is one of the most overlooked wine countries on the market today. It is a horrible misconception that all German wines are sweet. Last year I spent a week and a half visiting all the top German wine houses and after 753 different wines and notes on each I was amazed. These wines are terrific light whites (with a few reds), low in alcohol, which is perfect for many different menus. If your are looking for dry German wines, and yes they do produce dry wines the key work is Trocken, meaning dry. Some of the top producers all priced around the $20.00 range are Maximin Grunhaus, Bassermann-Jordon, Heyl (which are all organic), and my personal favorite Kesselstatt. These are treasures and match with almost any meal, but in particular spicy foods. The sweetness and acidity in the wines contrast perfectly with the spiciness in these dishes.

Italy has been producing terrific wines as long as any of the others but for some reason is always overlooked. The classic being Chianti, now we are not talking about the ones in straw baskets which make perfect candle holders, but the true classics. One of my personal favorites is Castello Di Querceto ($18.00), or Querceto for short. This is a wonderful light red full of food friendly flavors. Another favorite of is Amarone; these grapes are dried on straw mated than crushed to produce a deep concentrated fruit flavored wine, a true classic. A recent treasure for under $25.00, keeping in mind most are well over $30.00, is Capitel De’ Roari by Righetti. This is one of the best value price Amarones on the market. For the whites Pinot Grigio is the king, and Tiefenbrunner wins by along shot, clean and fresh, this is another food friendly white and for the price $13.00 a clear winner.

Last but not least, Australia, the land down under known for great Shiraz. For an absolutely terrific value priced red, look no further than Penfolds, especially the new release of Thomas Hyland Shiraz. This was a spicy, red fruit, making your mouth water for the next sip, under $20.00 Shiraz. WOW and ON THE MONEY! For some higher end Shiraz that make your guests have whiplash, Grange is the King. Dark deep concentrated flavors that will stand up to years of cellaring and only get better, this is the unmistakable King and Emperor of Australia. For the whites, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are the clear winners. Most notably Penfolds Rawson’s Retreat Chardonnay $15.00 and New Zealand’s Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc $12.00 (and yes it is close enough to match to this continent).