12/07/05 Malbec

Welcome to Vine to Wine, this is your host Linda Moran, and on today's program we are going to take a look at a wine that I notice showing up more and more often on wine lists and on retail shelves, and that is Malbec. Malbec is a grape varietal that is turning up more often these days on wine lists and retail shelves. It is one of the lesser grape varieties used in the making of red wines in the Bordeaux region of France. There Malbec is blended with other wines and makes up only a very small percentage of the blend. However, the Malbec that you are seeing most now is wine that is featuring this grape. You have likely noticed the Malbec name on wines from Argentina, Chile, Australia or California. It is a deep, dark, almost black grape, that can be rough and gamey, or deep, ripe, rich and attractively gamey. Those more attractively gamey wines coming from the finest Cahors vineyards of France or from some of the better vineyards of Argentina. Take note of the Malbec from producers such as Bodega Norton and Terrazas de los Andes from the Mendoza region of Argentina. The wines seem to have amazing rich fruit along with the potential to age. Although Malbec is being pulled up in favor of planting Cabernet Sauvignon there is hope that the increasing popularity will help to save some of the better vineyards. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.