Wines of Argentina, the organisation responsible for the global image of Argentine wines, is working on the details of the seventh edition of World Malbec Day. Under the slogan “Malbec, the heart of Argentina” the celebrations will take place in the main cities around the world during the month of April, paying homage to our flagship strain.
Malbec World Day is a global initiative that seeks to position Argentine Malbec in the world and celebrate the success of our wine industry. Since its first edition, on April 17, 2011, this celebration has achieved remarkable success thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Argentine Wine Corporation, and is within the Plan Estratégico Vitivinícola Argentina 2020.
This edition will revolve around the concept of Malbec as the heart of Argentina. Transformed into the motor for the most daring innovations, Malbec has given the country´s winemaking industry a booming character during the last twenty years. Malbec is not just a wine. It is a fruit that generates work, individuality, culture and development. Each bottle is a declaration of what sets Argentina apart. Each bottle speaks of the hands, the dexterity and the soul of our men. This varietal expresses a way of doing things, a way of life; it involves technique, originality and passion.
The deepest wines are born of the deepest longings of their peoples, those who reside in the heart. Malbec is the heart of our industry and continues to be our global ambassador.
As with every edition, a rich agenda is foreseen which will include conceptual activities for consumers, wine fairs for press and trade, talks from experts, tastings and promotions in wine bars and restaurants. The festivities for MWD are already beginning to pulse.
Why is Malbec Wolrd Day celebrated on April 17th?
The origin of Malbec can be found in the southwest of France. Here they have been cultivating this grape and making wines with the appellation of “Cahors” since the days of the Roman Empire. These wines became more popular during the Middle Ages and have become stronger and stronger in modern times.
The conquest of the English market was a crucial step in the evaluation of this strain in England and the world. By the late nineteenth century, the phylloxera plague had destroyed the French vineyards, so the “Cot” was forgotten, leaving, however, a culture of appreciation for Malbec.
Some time later, Malbec Argentino appeared. This strain arrived in our country in 1853 in the hands of Michel Aimé Pouget (1821 – 1875), a French agronomist who was hired by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento to carry out the management of the Agricultural Quinta de Mendoza.
Modelled on France, the initiative proposed adding new grape varieties as a means to enhancing the national wine industry. On April 17, 1853, with the support of the governor of Mendoza, Pedro Pascual Segura, a project was presented to the Provincial Legislature, with a view to establishing a Quinta Normal and Agricultural School. This project was approved by the House of Representatives on 6 September that year.
In the late nineteenth century with the help of Italian and French immigrants, the wine industry grew exponentially and with it, Malbec, which quickly adapted to the various different terroirs, and developed with even better results than in its region of origin. Thus, over time and with a lot of hard work, it emerged as the flagship grape of Argentina.
The management of Pouget and Sarmiento in the Quinta Normal de Mendoza was a crucial part of this process. The 17th of April is, for Wines of Argentina, not only a symbol of the transformation of Argentina´s wine industry, but also the starting point for the development of this strain, an emblem our country worldwide.
