World Malbec Day 2022
April 17th is a big day in our calendar every year. It’s World Malbec Day! First celebrated in 2011, the day is a global initiative from Wines of Argentina marking the role of the country in rescuing and developing the Malbec grape to its current emblematic status. Why April 17th? It was on this date in 1853 that French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget officially introduced Malbec to Argentina as a way of growing the national wine industry.
Phylloxera on Vines
The Story of Malbec
The origins of Malbec can be traced back to Southwest France. The grape, known locally as Côt, was cultivated to produce wines under the Cahors name from Roman times until its popularity was superseded by Bordeaux styles in the Middle Ages. By the late nineteenth century the French varietal was almost wiped out by Phylloxera – but uninfected cuttings had already made their way to South America.
Malbec in Argentina
French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget was commissioned by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Regional Governor of Cuyo, to manage the newly established Agricultural Quinta de Mendoza. The initiative, presented to the Provincial Legislature on April 17th 1853 proposed the introduction of new grape varieties to enhance the national wine industry. Pouget added Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Supported by French and Italian immigration in the late nineteenth century, the wine industry blossomed as the imported varietals produced wines of greater concentration and better quality than local Criolla varieties.
Michel Aimé Pouget
Malbec Today
From the outset, Malbec showed great ability to adapt to new terroirs and today it’s THE flagship grape, synonymous around the world with Argentina. It offers a wide variety of expressions. Here are five, very different, Malbecs.
