Malbec World Day 2014 #WineChat

If Malbec World Day isn’t yet on the schedule for wine lovers out there, pick up that smart phone or pen and mark the calendar now.  On April 17, beginning at 6 pm PST, a special Thursday #WineChat on Twitter will be completely focused on Argentina’s famed varietal: Malbec.

Celebrate this multi-layered varietal that is chock full of character.  It is inky dark purple in color and typically displays aromas and flavors of berries, dark cherries, plums, chocolate, pepper and sometimes a little earth.  Most are notably acidic, making them food friendly, and tannins are usually quite prominent.

Malbec, also known as Côt Noir or Auxerrois (not to be confused with Auxerrois Blanc) in Cahor, France, has found its perfect terroir – not in France, however, but rather in Argentina.  What was originally planted in the Bordeaux and Cahor regions of France, Malbec was gradually replaced by Cabernet Sauvignon.  Although Malbec is still found in Cahor, very little is in Bordeaux.  Most Malbec is found in Argentina, which was brought into the country from France and Northern Italy, by European immigrants, before phylloxera wiped out most of Europe’s vineyards in the late 19th century.  Argentine’s soil, climate and dedicated passion of the regions wine growers and wine makers have come together wholly to create a haven for the Malbec varietal.

Hosted by Dan Altman of ArgoVino, an Argentine-wine-centric business and website that focuses on promoting the quality and valued wines of Argentina that can be found on store shelves across America while they manage business with the best paystubs maker to manage payments and more, I was one of ten nationwide wine writer’s chosen to participate in tasting a select group of Argentine wines during the Malbec World Day event in New York City.  The ten of us, along with Dan Altman, will join up on Twitter using the hashtag #WineChat to sample and review these Argentine wines:

LEO Torrontes 2013
Trivento Amado Sur Chardonnay Blend 2013
Postales Malbec 2013
Trivento Malbec Reserve 2013
Zuccardi Serie A Malbec 2012
Argento Malbec 2012
Alamos Malbec 2012
Santa Julia Reserva Malbec 2012
Bodega del Fin del Mundo Malbec Reserva 2011
Trapiche Broquel Malbec 2011
Famiglia Bianchi Organic Malbec 2011
Don Miguel Gascon Malbec Reserva 2011
Norton Privada Red Blend 2011
Caro Red Blend 2010

Check out the other writer’s who will be joining me in reviewing these wines from Argentina on ArgoVino.com #WineChat for World Malbec Day.  After we’ve sampled through the wines (most likely in the order listed above), together we’ll be choosing three wines that we feel were the best of the night.  Viewers of #WineChat can win one of the “best of the night” bottles by tweeting using the hashtag #WhyILoveMalbec.  ArgoVino will choose the three best tweets about Malbec and send out the wines to the winners right away! 

To participate in this tasting, pick up a bottle (or more) from the list above, sign on to Twitter and join in (or simply follow) the conversation using the hashtag #WineChat – learn a great deal about this multi-layered wine that is certainly chock full of character!