Argentina’s flagship grape shines on World Malbec Day
Wines from Argentina are enjoying a moment in the sun. The range available at liquor stores is increasing and selections from boutique wineries available to restaurants have never been better. Will this be the year that Argentina is finally known for more than just Malbec?
The World Malbec Day celebrations set for April 17 are sure to maintain interest in the variety and versatility of styles available to consumers at a variety of price points.
And that won’t be the last word you’re likely to hear from these passionate winemakers: they’re hoping it will be the start of a conversation.
This year marks the eighth annual World Malbec Day, a global marketing effort staged by Wines of Argentina to shine the spotlight on their flagship grape.
Former president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento founded the country’s first school of agriculture in Mendoza on April 17, 1853. Its research and development programs have fostered Malbec’s rise to supremacy in Argentina.
The slogan for this year’s events is Malbec Argentino: You know me and you don’t.
After years of focusing their efforts on producing value priced, ripe and easy to appreciate Malbecs from Mendoza, Argentine winemakers are pushed the boundaries, looking for suitable growing regions through the country.
It’s far from a one-size-fitsall scenario. Malbec plantings expanded from 10,000 hectares to 40,000 hectares between 1990 and 2015, reaching 57 per cent of the total wine exported from Argentina. (By comparison, France has 6,155 hectares planted.)
The appeal of these bold red wines is easy to understand. Affordable bottles are made in refreshingly juicy styles, while more serious examples see that intense dark fruit flavour gain complexity from savoury spice and rich chocolate notes.
The quality of the cheap and cheerful under-$10 Malbecs that originally captured Canadians’ attention has fallen, but more serious examples ($13 and up) have never been better. These wines would be the life of the party April 17 ... or any other day.