Cathal McBride on wine: How malbec became one of Argentina’s most celebrated grapes

The popular variety’s particular triumph is in showcasing the distinct characteristics of terroir impact on wine – altitude, soil and climate

Malbec is Argentina’s most widely cultivated varietal and makes up 58 per cent of the country’s red grapes. Picture: Gustavo Sabez Mico

It’s Easter Sunday, a day that represents new life and beginnings. Coincidentally, this year it shares its date with the celebration of a grape that has the same qualities.

Malbec originally comes from Burgundy and is today found primarily in Bordeaux, where it’s known as côt or auxerrois (not to be confused with auxerrois blanc, a white grape common in Alsace). Since being brought to Argentina by Michel Aimé Pouget in the mid-19th century, it ...