gluggy
By Saralyn Mehta, Sommelier( ISG), CSW
Argentine Malbec: most likely to succeed
One of my philosophies is to never look back— looking forward to what may come is always a better bet. Sometimes you have to make exceptions to your rules, however, and one of those times is when old high school friends get together to catch up on each others’ lives.
It’ s funny how you become 16 again when the old crew gathers. As we sipped our wine( notably, it was no longer White Zinfandel), we debated ageold questions like,“ Who was the hottest member of Duran Duran, and why didn’ t one of us marry him?” More importantly,“ What was bigger in high school, our hair or the shoulder pads in our brightly coloured blazers?” In an effort to answer these questions, we pulled out our senior yearbook. As we flipped the pages, the conversation turned from the cool guy who peaked in high school to the biggest nerd who invented some computer component and sold his company for millions.
This got me to thinking how that cool guy was like Aussie Shiraz and the nerd just like Argentine Malbec. Seven years ago, when I began working at Banville & Jones, Shiraz firmly held the title of“ Most Popular” and Malbec was the nerdy guy in the corner that few knew. It was plain from the amount of space it occupied on our shelves that the market loved Shiraz. Meanwhile, we had two lonely Argentine Malbecs who had to find a home on the shelves with the Chilean wines.
What a difference a few years can make! When Banville & Jones“ graduated” to its current location 6 years ago, we expanded our Argentine section to 10 spots on the shelves. Today, Malbec is bursting to the forefront of the popularity contest. We have over 50 spots dedicated to Argentine wines, many of which are Malbec or Malbec blends. If I had to give Argentine Malbec a yearbook moniker( and I will because I am so far down the road with this analogy already), it would be“ Most Likely to Succeed.” It is hard to resist its rich, bold flavour and reasonable price points. Good Malbec ranges from $ 11.99( La Vuelta Malbec) to $ 16.99( Zorzal Malbec). Even the higher-end Malbecs over-deliver at their price points. For $ 29.99, the AVE Gran Riserva may not be a wine for every day, but it is a must-have when you want to treat yourself.
Saralyn Mehta, Davina Golden and Rhonda Sacks, 1987
Popularity is a fickle thing. I am sure that Shiraz will rise to the top again. But once people get a taste for great wines at a great price, that is when wines show their staying power. You can count on the longevity of Argentine Malbecs in our market, and look forward to seeing their numbers continue to grow on our shelves.
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