Malbec Mania - World Malbec Day 2021

The empanadas have just arrived, thanks to Betsabe of Bacanas in Tring, who makes authentic Argentine cuisine!

Tonight we celebrate World Malbec Day with Viña Cobos winemaker Andrés Vignoni, tasting three of his world class wines: Felino Chardonnay, Felino Malbec and Bramare Malbec Valle de Uco.

Andrés was named young Argentine winemaker of the year in 2020 by Tim Atkin in his Argentina wine report.

Even though its origins are in France, Malbec has done exceptionally well in Argentina since first being planted in the 1950's and the Argentine's have positioned the grape as their flagship varietal. Malbec World Day has been celebrated on the 17th of April every year since 1953 , to commemorate the day when Argentine president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento made it part of his manifesto to turn around Argentina's wine industry. He procured the help of a French soil expert to find the best grapes to suit the Argentine Terroirs. 'Malbec World Day' translates from Spanish "Día Mundial del Malbec" which means "Malbec throughout the world". The name stuck and continues to bamboozle English speakers, and most have ended up calling it "World Malbec Day", or "Malbec Mondo".

We are very excited to have Andrés Vignoni joining us on Zoom this evening to present his wines to us.Head Winemaker Andrés is one of the most accomplished winemakers of the Argentine new generation. Cobos winery is a highly acclaimed wine producer belonging to international winemaker and consultant Paul Hobbs. Having worked in Argentina since 1988, Paul Hobbs became convinced of the potential of Argentine Malbec and decided to start his own winery, Viña Cobos, in the heart of Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo in 1999. Over two decades on Viña Cobos is one of the most respected producers of single-vineyard Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in Argentina. Focused on the Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo, the Cobos wines are concentrated, complex and vibrant.