12 Facts About Malbec

Malbec seems to be able to produce well in a variety of soil types but in the limestone based soils of Cahors it seems to produce its most dark and tannic manifestation.

Malbec is grown in Washington State, the Rogue and Umpqua regions of Oregon, the Grand Valley AVA of Colorado, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, British Columbia, the Long Island AVA of New York, Oregon, southern Bolivia, Peru, northeastern Italy and recently in Texas and southern Ontario, Virginia, and in the Baja California region of Mexico.

At one point Malbec was grown in 30 different departments of France, a legacy that is still present in the list of local synonyms for the variety, which easily surpasses 1000 names.

Outside of Cahors, Malbec is still found in small amounts as a permitted variety in the AOCs of Bergerac, Buzet, Cotes de Duras, Cotes du Marmandais, Fronton and Pecharmant.

Still, as elsewhere in France, Malbec is losing acreage other varieties—most notably Cabernet Franc in the Loire.

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Argentine Malbec wine is characterized by its deep color and intense fruity flavors with a velvety texture.

Malbec was the first to develop a clonal selection of Argentine Malbec.

In California, the American Viticultural Areas with the most plantings of Malbec include Napa Valley, Alexander Valley, Paso Robles and Sonoma Valley.

Seven Hills Winery planted the first vines of Malbec planted in Oregon state in the late 1990s in their Windrow vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.

Success of Malbec led some producers in Chile to try their hand at the varietal.

Malbec grown in Washington state tends to be characterized by dark fruit notes and herbal aromas.

French ampelographer Pierre Galet has documented over a thousand different synonyms for Malbec, stemming in part from its peak period when it was growing in 30 different departments of France.