Santa Julia Natural La Vaquita Clarete 2024

Other Red Blends from Mendoza, Argentina

Malbec 80%, Torrontes 20%

Purchase Price $17.99

James Suckling 93, Robert Parker 90, ElsBob 90

ABV 13.5%

A pale ruby wine with a pink rim. Aromas of fresh cherries. Medium bodied with subtle tannins and a medium acidity that provides for a nice refreshing, but short, finish.

An excellent table wine at a remarkable price. Current price is around $20.

Trivia: Trivia: “La Vaquita” translates from Spanish to English as “the little cow.”

Cheese maker La Vaquita was established in Houston, Texas, in 1971 by Mexican immigrant María Castro.  Known for Mexican-style dairy products such as queso fresco, crema, and butter, the company began as a kitchen-scale project and eventually became Castro Cheese Company. It was acquired by Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) in 2009, and in 2025 DFA opened a second Hispanic cheese plant in Monroe, Wisconsin.

Additional trivia useful mainly on Jeopardy is that Wisconsin produces more cheese than any other U.S. state, churning out over 3 billion pounds annually. California comes in second at about 2.5 billion pounds, dominated by mozzarella production.

Amalaya Malbec 2021

Malbec from Salta, Argentina

Malbec 85%, Taninat 10%, Petit Verdot 5%

Purchase Price: $14.99

Decanter 95, Wilfred Wong 91, James Suckling 91, Robert Parker 90, ElsBob 88

ABV 13.9%

A deep ruby in color, medium to full body, aromas of red fruits and spice. On the palate flavors of plum, very smooth, moderately acidic, with a short finish.

A very good table wine at a fair price. Drink now. Cheers.

Trivia: Salta wine region in the Calchaqui Valley of northwestern Argentina is better known for its white wine: Torrontes, but its Malbecs and Cabernets are gaining adherents. Salta has the highest altitude vineyards in the world with some at a breathless 9000’.