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If you’re anything like me, life in Korea might feel like a slippery balance between squirreling away as much Won as possible each month while still spicing up your days with a little indulgence every now and then.  Living on ramyeon and spending weekends indoors with your wallet locked up may be good for the number crunchers at Student Loans, but it takes a toll on your spirit.  As a former boss of mine in Canada once said after an overtime shift and a general discussion of finances, “you gotta live.”

But living doesn’t have to mean spending big bucks.  Starting now, I’m adding a new category to the Coco Busan blog called “Budget Luxuries.”  It’ll feature cheap Korea finds that make life sweeter while keeping the bank account balanced, afloat, and hopefully brimming.  Starting with this Argentinian Argento Malbec, found at Costco. 

This red is smooth.  It’s got some dark berry action and a little bit of spice.  It tastes great on its own or with an olive and cherry tomato penne.  Crack the cork, pour a glass, and in ten minutes it’ll flow with whatever you feel like tossing into a pan.  Come to think of it, I bet it would even be awesome with ramyeon.  It’s the best budget red I’ve tried in Busan, and it’s only 8,990 won.  (For those of you in North America, that’s around eight bucks.)  Who knew 2010 was such a stellar vintage?