Vino to refuel and relax with

I’VE not been able to stop eating since my wee trek across the hills of Donegal at the weekend. It’s like I’m turning into my Da, clearing everyone else’s plate at dinner before hoking about in the bread bin for a few extra morsels.

Thing is, if you’re eating so much it can give you a wild thirst and I’m not talking about the uisce. School night glasses of wine as I come down, refuel and relax after my first ultra have been very pleasant and I fully intend to go a full fortnight of gastronomic excess.

What with the pasta the other night, but the remnants of the bottle of Montepuliciano had gone a bit Port like. So I grabbed a bottle of Malbec from the Hoover cupboard to wash down the remnants of one of those rotisserie chickens they do in Dunnes.

Well, a bit of that, then some toast and cheese. Well, I’m a growing boy.

Herself was out, so the second dinner was not only accompanied by decent vino but some tunes too.

The Malbec was the Dona Paula Estate number and fine drink for any night of the week. Bright sour cherry on the nose as soon you opened it, but quickly developing savoury, mineral notes with a wee swirl.

On the palate the fruit was chewy and evolved quickly to offer up coffee and spice as well as nice balancing acidity. Obviously I’ll get two or three nights out of

it, so £12 well spent I say.

With its easy tannins, bold fruit and general all round smoothness “Argentine Malbec is not difficult to like”, as Jancis Robinson puts it.

And in an age of spiralling costs, there’s plenty of choice around the tenner mark.

It’s an interesting grape in that it’s been pretty much sidelined in its native South West France for decades but has found fame and fortune in Argentina.

The Dona Paula I enjoyed was from the Uco Valley, a mountainous region with high altitude vineyards that apparently boast some decent Pinot Noir as well as fleshy, approachable Malbecs.

It’s rising popularity as growing region is evident in the fact that in 2005 the valley had 16,800ha under vine, but today has well past 28,600ha. I think I’ll be seeking out one of those Pinots, but in the meantime have a rattle at one of these.

There’s plenty of choice around the tenner mark