Happy World Malbec Day!

by CyT UK, April 17th, 2012

Today is World Malbec Day – a day to celebrate the juicy charms of a grape variety that has really found its form in the vineyards of Argentina.

But why 17th April? Here’s the history bit....

It was on April 17th 1853 that politician Domingo Sarmiento launched his master plan to invigorate the Argentinean wine industry. He imported a diverse variety of seeds and vines from France, including all the usual suspects but he also decided to try Malbec. He teamed up with a highly regarded French agriculturist of the time called Michel Aimé Pouget to oversee the planting project.

So it was that the first Malbec vines were planted in Argentina in 1860, from original French rootstocks. The grape variety, known for its tendency to produce fiercely tannic wines in South-West France, flourished in vineyards at the foot of the Andes Mountain Range.

Malbec’s success is due in Argentina is its ability to adapt to a whole range of diverse climates and soils. It has the potential to produce a huge variety of styles. From the light and juicy to the deep, dark and concentrated, Malbec can do it all and more.

So, in celebration, we’re raising a glass of Trivento Reserve Malbec this evening. Chin chin.