Waiting for the next season of The Wachowskis’ Sense8 can be alleviated by watching The Killing, but nothing beats a well-chilled, organic torrontés to make you forget about either of them, and even ignore all the smoke. The Cuma Torrontés, from Michel Torino Estate, has all the soft, balanced mouthfeel, apricot, and peach notes you’d expect from this variety. But it delivers a surprisingly crisp acidity and boasts a lovely floral nose that in aggregate make this wine, at a currently reduced price of $12, a steal.
The requisite red for the barbecue this weekend, also a steal, although at $20, is Michel Rolland’s Argentine interpretation of a Bordeaux blend, called Clos de Los Siete. It was a sensation from its first vintage onwards, and continues to evolve, with its preponderance of malbec balanced with small amounts of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and even petit verdot. It is a generous, complex wine, smooth tannins, and plenty of pepper and spice to accompany the vivid dark fruits. Highly unlikely one bottle will suffice for your party of four on the patio.
