it’s no secret that americans’ thirst for wine has grown over the years with total wine consumption roughly doubling from 565 million gallons in 2020 to 11 billion gallons in 2021 according to the wine institute it’s also no secret that americans don’t like to spend a lot on vino one survey found that 68 opt for bottles that are priced 20 or less so what should americans consider sipping particularly if they’re looking to celebrate national red wine day which happens to be coming up on aug 28 in my mind there’s one very clear answer argentinian malbec and if you had to pick one lowerpriced option i’d suggest the trapiche winery’s oak cast malbec malbec is a european varietal it’s used in marking bordeaux red wine but it has become very much associated with argentina of late it’s known for producing a darkcolored wine one that “seduces consumers from the point of view of color” says trapiche winemaker sergio eduardo casé with plenty of flavor think especially black fruit in all i’d say malbec is a wine very much geared for the american palate approachable to the point of being a little bold and also good with a wide gamut of foods malbec’s history in argentina dates back to the 19th century it’s a grape that grows well in the country especially because of warm dry conditions according to casé production really started to take off in the last couple of decades as the country’s winemakers used it to tap into the american market particularly with bottles at a lower pricing trapiche a winery with a history going back to 1883 is no exception to this trend it produces malbecs at all price levels with the top of the line going for about 100 the oak cask is at the lower end of the spectrum at 999 which perhaps explains why it’s trapiche’s bestselling wine in the us alone trapiche sells 120000 cases of it per year what we think about it it’s probably an overstatement but i’m hardpressed to think of a 10 wine i’ve enjoyed more of late than trapiche oak cask it hits all the right notes of deliciousness you’ll pick up blackberries and plums the label says but doesn’t overwhelm the palate if you want a malbec that’s a little more refined with added depth you can go up in price and try the trapiche gran medalla for 2999 how to enjoy it the oak cask pairs well with many foods the trapiche team says try grilled meats pasta dishes or semihard cheeses