I tried some new Argentinean wines that are going to be in the market soon and all I could think is how great they are, especially when it comes to value and the packaging.

The Benegas wines bear the mark of Michel Rolland as consulting winemaker. Whatever you think of him from Mondovino, all the wines I have tasted from him are outstanding. I’d love to drink wine with him; he’s fun. I’d take up smoking again just to have a long dinner in his company.

This image is from a Cabernet that will retail for $9.99. The average age of the vines is 60 years old. It’s an elegant package and would make a great gift for a dinner party. (Though it’s a little racy.)

One of their pricey wines, the 2002 Benegas Lynch Meritage, also comes in probably the heaviest bottle I have ever encountered.