Wine
Grape Varietal: Malbec
Malbec, which is also called Côt (“coat”) or
“Auxxerois,” comes from Sud-Ouest, France. The thick-skinned grape was a
natural cross of two esoteric varieties: Prunelard from Gaillac and
Magdeleine des Charentes from Montpellier
(the mother of Merlot!). Malbec is an
important blending grape in Bordeaux but, because of its poor resistance
to fungal diseases and pests, it never surfaced as a top grape.
The grape really didn’t rise to fame until it was brought into Mendoza,
Argentina. It was first planted by a nostalgic French botanist in 1868
who hoped to improve wine quality in the region.
Today, it’s now Argentina’s most important grape.