There are a couple of reasons to take notice. The first being that wine
made from the Malbec variety is possibly the up-and-coming wine you will be
offering your friends. Secondly, some South African wineries participated in
the event by sending some vintages to be tasted on the world stage with those
of other countries.
The countries participating were, of course, France, the ‘mother of
Malbec’, Argentina, the largest producer and other countries who are investing
in this versatile grape variety. USA, New Zealand, Australia, Chile and South
Africa were represented in various ways and all presented some of their wines
for tasting by a discerning array of sommeliers, winemakers, importers,
journalists, restaurateurs and amateurs. Jean-Vincent Ridon of Signal Hill
Winery in South Africa, who was featured in a previous number on this website,
took it upon himself to bring his own and other Malbecs to the event. (See photo.)
Appreciation for the South African wines ranged from non-committal to
excellent. Malbecs from other countries were met with similar reactions as wine
preferences are very personal. In summary it can be said there were good wines,
great wines and different wines. A good wine should reflect the grape variety,
enhanced by the ‘terroir’ which varies greatly throughout the world. Therefore,
it follows that Malbecs of any one region can never be said to be the world’s
best.
France has been working with Malbec grapes for 2000 years, while the USA
planted the first vines less than 20 years ago. South Africa has a long history
of winemaking, going back to the 17th century, giving it an
advantage in using its ‘terroir’ to the fullest. Another consideration for
winemakers is cost, as customers have become very discerning regarding the
price/quality ratio. For example, affordability has been a guarantee of USA
market penetration for Argentinian Malbec while higher costs have meant that California wines are less
known outside the USA.
Currently a mere 450 hectares are planted with Malbec in South Africa, versus 34.000 hectares in Argentina and 4.000 in Cahors. As demand for Malbec is expected to rise steadily worldwide, the future of Malbec in South Africa seems assured.