Malbec

Malbec is a wine for recessionary times. This red, found in the South American aisle of wine shops, is affordable, with plenty of pleasing offerings in the $10 to $18 range. And the "luxury" end of the malbec line usually lands in the $20 to $30 area, leagues below other high-end wines. Almost all malbecs are pleasant, easy-to-drink wines. "For people who like full-bodied reds, they are a great substitute for cabernet or merlot," says Vicki Schassler, co-owner of the Spirits of Mt. Vernon wine shop in downtown Baltimore.

Michael's Cafe is nearly 30 years old, but it's still hot. On a recent Thursday night, the Timonium restaurant was hopping. The warm, wood-filled bar was packed, and by 8 p.m., so was the dining room. Since its opening in 1984, Michael's has expanded several times; a current construction project will add an outdoor bar and more seating. Eavesdropping on tables around us, we realized most diners were repeat customers - back, no doubt, for Michael's capable takes on classic American food.

2007 Bodega Septima Malbec From: Mendoza, Argentina Price: $12 Serve with: Red meat, pasta This intense, full-bodied, structured red wine shows off the star quality the malbec grape, a bit player in Bordeaux, achieves in Argentina's Mendoza region. This budget-priced beauty displays remarkable complexity and aging potential, with flavors of blackberry, leather, chocolate and spices. It's a great value.

From: Mendoza, Argentina Price: $13 Serve with: Grilled beef, lamb, pasta This hearty red wine from Argentina offers an abundance of smooth ripe, fruit and has the virtue of being widely available at a moderate price - sometimes on sale for $10 or less. Not especially complex, it nevertheless delivers appealing blackberry, chocolate and peppery flavors and is ready to drink now. It's a great choice for a backyard barbecue. -- Michael Dresser

2000 Navarro Correas Coleccion Privada Malbec, Maipu, Mendoza ($16). This Argentine winery has been undergoing a renaissance under the guidance of Jeffrey Stambor of the Napa Valley's Beaulieu Vineyards. The changes show most dramatically in its malbec, a secondary Bordeaux red-wine grape that has flourished in Argentina more than anywhere else. This "private collection" malbec is a spicy, concentrated beauty with an ultra-long finish and admirable complexity. Its black currant, cherry and cocoa flavors are complemented by the cedar and cigar-box aromas so typical of good Bordeaux.

Argentina is a puzzling country. It built a cult around the preserved body of a dead blonde. It waged a monumentally inept war against a major European power over islands that are barely habitable by sheep. And the star of its wine industry is a variety called malbec, which has never been more than a bit player in Bordeaux. Don't ask me. It must be some kind of Southern Hemisphere thing. The nation's wines can be just as baffling. Some are simply amazing -- unbelievable bargains at a time when consumers need a break.

1992 Fabre-Montmayou Malbec, Mendoza ($10).There are some rough edges to this big Argentine red, but if you like wines that really take charge, this is one of them. It's packed with black-currant and smoked-meat flavors, slightly tamed with a generous dollop of oak, and quite long in the finish. It would be even better with some cellar age, but it's hard to say how long it would last.Pub Date: 2/22/98

Walk along The Avenue in Hampden and 13.5%, the city's newest wine bar, jumps right out at you. There's nothing else quite like it in Hampden. In fact, it feels almost out of place with the rest of the neighborhood - in a good way. Inside, 13.5% is comfortably stylish and thankfully unpretentious. Call it '60s chic. I liked the hardwood floors, stone walls and low-hanging decorative metal lamps. Though 13.5% has been open only since July 10, it already has a broad appeal, based on the scene there Friday night.

If you had told me that the Atlantic, Donna' s, Ray Lewis' Full Moon BBQ and Kiss Cafe wouldn't last in Canton's Can Company, but Outback and the Austin Grill would, I wouldn't have known what to make of it. I still don't. It makes it hard to predict how Langermann's (2400 Boston St., 410-534-3287, langermanns.com) will do. Like many other restaurants that have opened in this weak economy, it needs to be a place the neighborhood will embrace. To that end, managing partner David McGill said, prices are being kept reasonable, with dinner entrees ranging from $14.95 for herb-roasted chicken to $20.95 for a crab cake with succotash, shoestring potatoes and mustard cream - only dinner is called "supper," which gives you a sense of the style of the place.

If you had told me that the Atlantic, Donna' s, Ray Lewis' Full Moon BBQ and Kiss Cafe wouldn't last in Canton's Can Company, but Outback and the Austin Grill would, I wouldn't have known what to make of it. I still don't. It makes it hard to predict how Langermann's (2400 Boston St., 410-534-3287, langermanns.com) will do. Like many other restaurants that have opened in this weak economy, it needs to be a place the neighborhood will embrace. To that end, managing partner David McGill said, prices are being kept reasonable, with dinner entrees ranging from $14.95 for herb-roasted chicken to $20.95 for a crab cake with succotash, shoestring potatoes and mustard cream - only dinner is called "supper," which gives you a sense of the style of the place.

Walk along The Avenue in Hampden and 13.5%, the city's newest wine bar, jumps right out at you. There's nothing else quite like it in Hampden. In fact, it feels almost out of place with the rest of the neighborhood - in a good way. Inside, 13.5% is comfortably stylish and thankfully unpretentious. Call it '60s chic. I liked the hardwood floors, stone walls and low-hanging decorative metal lamps. Though 13.5% has been open only since July 10, it already has a broad appeal, based on the scene there Friday night.

Halfway into my first glass of red wine at the new V-NO in Fells Point, I wondered: What took so long? Why is it only now that Fells Point has a cute, clean bar where food comes second to wine? It seems like a no-brainer. Either way, I'm glad V-NO, which opened last fall by the harbor on South Ann Street, seems to be doing well. With its soft yellow walls, hanging bulb lamps and large front windows, V-NO has the relaxed feel of a European cafe. The tall, black wine shelves, concrete floor and metallic bar could easily be on display at an IKEA store, which isn't a bad thing.

2007 Bodega Septima Malbec From: Mendoza, Argentina Price: $12 Serve with: Red meat, pasta This intense, full-bodied, structured red wine shows off the star quality the malbec grape, a bit player in Bordeaux, achieves in Argentina's Mendoza region. This budget-priced beauty displays remarkable complexity and aging potential, with flavors of blackberry, leather, chocolate and spices. It's a great value.