Malbec World Day!

MALBEC WORLD DAY!

Malbec is not only the flagship varietal of Argentina that pairs perfectly with an asado, but it is also a significant artistic and cultural expression of Argentina. Malbec is the thread that ties together Argentine food, art, music and dance.

Malbec World Day is celebrated on April 17, to commemorate the day when president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento of Argentina officially made it his mission to transform Argentina's wine industry. On that day, back in 1853, he tasked Michel Aimé Pouget, a French soil expert, to bring over new vines. Amongst his selection, was Malbec. Pouget continued experimenting with the adaptation of French varietals to Argentina's diverse terroirs. As a result, Argentina has become one of the only countries to have original Malbec vines of true French heritage, and today South America is well and truly regarded as a wine destination, largely thanks to the development and refinement of the Malbec varietal. In the meantime, Malbec flourished in Argentina creating wines widely superior to those of its country of origin. Many decades later, in 1956, France faced another obstacle: a freeze wiped out the majority of Malbec vineyards.

In the following years, specifically during the '90s, Argentina positioned Malbec as their star varietal. 

More than 10, 000 acres were planted and it became the undeniable leader of the country's exportations. Currently Argentina is the world’s major producer of Malbec contributing a hefty 75%, with over 76,603 acres of vineyards across the country. France is the next primary producer – followed by Italy, Spain, and South Africa – however with approximately 13,000 acres, it pales in comparison. From fruity, elegant, and floral wines, to black fruit, spicy and complex wines, with its range of expressions coming about from the country’s diverse terroir and quality tannins, Malbec is very much a crowd pleaser.Wine lovers around the world, especially in the United States, discovered and praised Argentine Malbec.

In 2011, Wines of Argentina, responsable for communicating the Argentine wine brand around the world, established April 17 as Malbec World Day. Lis Clément, their Head of Marketing and Communications at the time, founded this day because she was convinced this celebration would help position Malbec as one of Argentina's wine gems. Excellent quality, ever surprising and diverse, Argentina's Malbec would lead the way to position Argentina as one of the main oenological centers of the world.

Noted for its intense dark color and fruity explosion, Malbec offers a wide range of aromatic profiles associated with the specific conditions of the terroir. In general, its aromas are reminiscent of cherries, strawberries or plums, raisins and black pepper, in some cases reminiscent of cooked fruits (jam). Aged in wood, it acquires notes of coffee, vanilla and chocolate. The palate has the ability to fill the palate thanks to its sweet, silky and enveloping tannins.

Nowadays, more than 60 cities around the world (coordinated by the Foreign Affairs Office of Argentina) host events around Malbec, Argentine food and lifestyle. Each year, a theme is created to link Malbec and Argentine culture. This framework allows every celebration to be creative and adapt to each country's idiosyncrasy. Malbec was first planted in France, then reached its highest point of development in Argentina and is currently travelling the world over to manifest itself as one of the key players in the international wine industry.

MWD managed to position itself as a historic event in the promotion of the wine in the world and today is part of the calendar of celebrations of international scope. April 17 is, for wines of Argentina, not only the symbol of transformation of Argentina winemaking, but the starting point for the development of this strain, emblem of our country World wide.