Malbec wine has garnered quite the spotlight in recent years as a standout vino and trendy pour. Malbec wines have become so popular among wine drinkers and wine connoisseurs that this year Malbec wine even had a day dedicated to it.
Earlier this year, Wines of Argentina declared that there would be a Malbec day and selected April 17th because it marks the end of the grape harvest and it is also the day in 1853 that a bill was submitted in Mendoza to improve all aspects of agriculture, most notably wine.
Malbec wine drinkers celebrated this popular Argentinian wine on the first ever Malbec World Day, Sunday April 17, 2011. Malbec tastings, Malbec festivals and Malbec events took place in Mendoza and 33 cities around the world.
Malbec grapes ripen mid-season and they have a thin skin which requires more heat and sun than other grapes. The malbec grape gets its origins from France, in the Bordeaux region. The Malbec grape was first introduced in Argentina in the 19th century. It has since become the 'national variety' of Argentina and Argentina has become the largest producer of Malbec in the world.
I attended the sold out Malbec World Day festivities at City Winery in New York City where attendees could sample up to 60 different Malbecs including Achaval Ferrer, Bianchi, Cielo Y Tierra, Michel Torino, Trapiche, Caro, Rutini, Callia, Salentein, Don Cristobal, Dos Andes Argentina, Schroeder, El Origen, Flichman, Tamarí, Graffigna, Viñas de Altura, Urraca, Vinorum, Zorzal, Pulenta, Alamos, Colome, Catena Zapata, Algodon, Fin Del Mundo and Luigi Bosca.
If you missed out on the first Malbec World Day, be sure to mark your calendars for next year. Same day, different glass.
