Malbec (mal-bek) is a full-bodied, inky dark red wine grape that originated in France. A softer, less tannic Malbec grape was planted in Argentina in 1868 where is has one of the most widely grown grape in the country.
A high-quality bottle from Argentina can be heavy on tannins, which contributes to the drier mouthfeel, whereas a more affordable bottle made in the United States might have moderate tannins and appear to be smoother or softer on the palate.
Malbec needs less oak than you might think. Malbec is so fruity and smooth, it often doesn’t need as much oak-aging. Affordable Malbec wines may only get 4–6 months in oak, whereas top-shelf Malbec gets as much as 18–20 months in oak.
Fun Fact
Malbec dominant flavors include Green Apple, Yellow Apple, Melon, Pears, Lemon, Quince (cool climates) Starfruit, Pineapple, Mango (warm climates), Butter, Creme Fraiche (Malolactic fermentation), Vanilla, Butterscotch, Caramel, Toast, Chalk, Gravel.
WHERE TO FIND MALBEC
Well-known regions for producing Malbec wines include Mendoza, Patagonia, Central Valley, Cohars, Bourdeaux, Western Cape, and Robertson. Some top producing countries are Argentina, France, USA, Chile and South Africa.
MALBEC WINE FOOD PAIRINGS
The best food to pair with Malbec wine are Any Cut Steak Ribeyes, and NYStrips, Lamb, BBQ, Grilled Meats, Portabella Mushroom, Thyme, Herbs, Coffee Rubbed, and Smoke.
This wine should be consumed in a red wine glass. The average shelf life is about 5 years. The average bottle should cost around $10 -$15. Serve at room temperature and decant for at least 20 minutes.
WHEN IS THE RIGHT MOOD FOR MALBEC WINE?
MALBEC WINE RECOMMENDATIONS
Looking for recommendations on Malbec wines? Here are a few we suggest.
Catena Malbec 2017
Zuccardi Q Malbec 2017
Trivento Golden Reserve 2017
Maia Parish is the owner of The Wine Suite and creator of The Tales of a Wine Mistress blog. Her events and tastings are featured at national festivals and tradeshows. She has her own broadcast called Tales of a Wine Mistress, on iGTV, Facebook Watch, and Twitter Live. Maia is a Wine Judge for the Denver International Wine Competition, Drink Pink Vino International Festival, Port and Fortified, and the Pairsine Food and Wine Competitions. She was a guest panelist for the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference and was featured in the Women in Wine Issue for R.H. Drexel’s Loam Baby Volume 6, and was voted as the under over 40 Top African Americans in Wine. She was also published in SommJourmal with Karen McNeil’s the Status of Women in the Wine Industry. Swirl Suite and is working on two upcoming podcasts. She is a former private caterer and events producer.
Maia is a mom of one, sister to many, friend to food, a semi-tech nerd, TV fanatic, big hair and don’t care fashionista, and entrepreneur. She lives in Denver. She lives to learn and educate people about the wine lifestyle, why because pouring make her happy.