A GLOBAL CELEBRATION
Why is Malbec World Day celebrated on April 17?
The origins of Malbec can be traced back to the region of 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 grape in England and the world. By the late nineteenth century, the phylloxera plague had destroyed the French vineyards, so the “Côt” had been forgotten, leaving, however, a culture of appreciation emerged for Malbec during this time.
Sometime later, Malbec Argentino appeared. This variety arrived in our country in 1853 in the hands of Michel Aimé Pouget (1821-1875), a French agronomist who was commissioned by Argentine journalist, politician and statesman, 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 same 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 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 grape, an emblem for our country worldwide.
