DRINK DIFFERENT - MALBEC COMES HOME

One of the New World wines which has really established itself on British restaurant wine lists is Argentinean Malbec.  Big, inky-black, dense and tannic, and usually high in alcohol, this is the perfect foil for red meat, and in particular steak.  A true Gaucho wine.

But Argentina is not the spiritual home of the Malbec grape – that is to be found in the southwest of France, around the ancient city of Cahors.  Grown here since Roman times, Malbec, also known locally as ‘Côt’ and ‘Auxerrois’, is the backbone of a great and undervalued red wine (Cahors can also include up to 30% Merlot or Tannat, but it is Malbec which dominates)

If you visit Cahors, you will find that the town’s Maison du Vin is actually called ‘The Malbec Lounge’ (in English!).  For a country which bans mention of grape varieties on Appellation Contrôlée labels, this is a big thing – and a recognition of how the Argentinians have made the variety in the bottle the star.