Malbec grape variety is usually associated with Argentine wines, since it is the most grown stock in the country. Argentina is the fifth world wine producer and one of the main wine exporting countries in the world. Malbec grape variety is a red wine grape, followed in popularity by the Bonarda and the Cabernet Sauvignon. It usually produces varietal wines, which means that one or more wine varieties are used. It is sometimes blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon. The Malbec is native to France and its vineyards are numerous in the Cahors region –located in the southwest of France. In Bordeaux, it lost popularity due to a frost that destroyed 75% of the vineyards in the 1950s. It was planted in Argentina halfway through the 20th century; the country is today the first Malbec producer in the world. It is a purple-coloured thin-skinned grape, which needs more sun than other varieties to ripen. As it seems, it does not resist frosts well, taking into account what happened in Bordeaux. Malbec wines are of a dark colour and have plenty of tannins as well as a particular plum flavour. In general, they are intense wines; hence, many wineries tend to blend it with other varieties in order to create assemblage wines. By means of Argento’s blog, The Real Argentina, discover the qualities that have turned the Malbec into the most popular variety in Argentina. It is particularly important in the region of Mendoza, the most important wine producing region in the country with over 80% of Malbec wines being produced there. Discover restaurants and bars where you can taste the intense flavour and aroma of its wines and find out which food is paired with this variety. Our simple pairing guide will give you the needed tips in order for you to choose the perfect menu to go with your Malbec wine. Actually, it is not difficult to pair with, since it combines both with complex dishes and with simple everyday recipes. For example, it is particularly well paired with the Argentine roast, with dishes dressed with carbonara sauce, with lentil stews or with slightly spicy cheeses. Moreover, you will find out that the different Malbec wines produced by Argento are found among the favourite ones of some of the best Argentine sommeliers. There are important differences between Argentine Malbec wines and French Malbec wines. The former are more velvety and darker whereas the latter are more structured. The recommended temperature to serve a varietal wine is 16 degrees. This grape variety is so popular in the country that every 17th of April the Malbec Wine Day is celebrated. The celebration commemorates the day that the Argentine president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento asked agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget, also known as Miguel Pouget, to bring new varieties to Argentina. Among them, the Malbec was found.
The Uco Valley covers a vast area, and visiting the bodegas requires a little forward planning. There are basically two options: organise it yourself, or join a tour. In this guide, we’ll look at some of the options for tours, as well as some reputable tour companies.
If you´re the kind of serious Argentina wine drinker who thinks Mendoza is soooo 2005, strap on a good pair of boots and head for Catamarca in Argentina´s wild, wild west. If the malbec doesn´t grab you, the scenery will
Millions of years ago the Highlands of Scotland were as high as the Himalayas until steadily worn down by winter snow, ice and rain. Today they peak at a modest 4,409 feet in the shape of Ben Nevis whose summit is a relatively easy climb that does not require oxygen. Still it’s more impressive than Holland’s highest point which is apparently somewhere in the middle of a supermarket car-park. If you live in a comparatively flat country like Britain, it is hard to really imagine the effect of altitude, unless you travel. For me it hit home when back-packing through Bolivia years ago. I will never forget…
Back in the Middle-Ages, Malbec was planted all over southern France. But it wasn’t known as Malbec. It had over a thousand synonyms, and besides Medieval wine drinkers knew precious little about grape varieties. But there was no doubt Malbec was highly thought of, especially up-river of Bordeaux, where it was blended with the even darker Tannat grape to make the famous ‘Black Wine of Cahors’…
If you have made it all the way to Argentina, you really should try and find time to visit Salta – home of the highest and perhaps most spectacular vineyards in the world. But be patient – arriving in the provincial capital of Salta after the flight north from Buenos Aires is barely the start. It is a good four hours drive to the town of Cafayate and the fertile Calchaquí Valley – the main wine region of Salta. Along the way you will probably despair of ever seeing a vineyard. The fields of maize and tobacco that surround Salta soon give way to desert where nothing grows save giant cacti flicking V-signs at the sky…
This relatively unknown province was bound to make wine if you think of its Spanish namesake. In fact La Rioja claims to have the longest continued history of wine production in Argentina, having been planted with grapes by Spanish missionaries in the mid-16th century. La Rioja is a gruelling, seven hour drive north from Mendoza, passing through the province of San Juan on the way…