You probably did
n’t know but today is World Malbec day.
Malbec is a red grape that produces deeply coloured wines. Often compared to Merlot in palette weight it is usually one of the grapes in Bordeaux blends. It is the predominant grape in wine from Cohors in south west France where it can make quite tannic wine.
It has really taken off in South America in particular Argentina and is well known in the Mendoza region where it creates a wide range of styles. It has become very popular as there are some very good quality wines coming out of the area that offer great value for money.
Although only planted in small quantities in Australia there are some very good examples. It is thin-skinned and requires more sun and heat than either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to mature which makes it ideally suited to some of Australia’s warmer growing regions.
To celebrate World Malbec day I am off to the gauchito-gil-malbec tasting at Ormond Hall in Melbourne today. Feel free to join me and I will provide updates over the coming days.
In the meantime…enjoy some good wine.