Choosing the right South American wine

I have rather neglected South America in recent weeks which is unfair given how popular the region is in Ireland. Chile is by far the biggest seller in Ireland but this week I’m focusing on Argentina and Malbec.

Malbec originates in Cahors in SouthWest France where it is more often known as Cot — the word Malbec comes from the man who introduced it to the Côtes de Bordeaux region.

DNA analysis has shown that Malbec is a half sibling to Merlot, the grape that largely supplanted it once the vineyards of Bordeaux were re-planted after the devastation of Phylloxera.