French Malbec gains popularity in US restaurants

Alarmed by the rising popularity of competitively-priced Argentine Malbec, the Cahors region of France engaged Sopexa to launch a new campaign to educate American consumers about the “original” French Malbec.

The high-end Bouley Test Kitchen was the venue for the kick-off, which categorised Cahors Malbec into three key groups (“Tender and Fruity, Feisty and Powerful, Intense and Complex”) and featured commentary by authors Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen.

Sommelier David Autry of Aretsky’s Patroon steakhouse in Manhattan’s bustling financial district is a huge proponent of French Malbec, feeling that Cahors is a great steak wine and a nice alternative to the Argentine Malbecs that have garnered so much popularity in the last few years – especially for more sophisticated palates.

At the same time, he acknowledged the appeal of the Argentine style, explaining “the blue fruit notes and soft style of the Argentine wines make them an ideal ‘starter’ red for those drinkers whose palates are graduating from white, sweeter and lighter wines that are almost always the favorites of new wine drinkers.”

Aretsky’s Patroon offers Château le Caminade “La Commandery” from Cahors, France, 2008 which is available from The Vine Collective.

“As the American palate continues to mature and develop, I think people will move from these lighter, softer styles and start to also enjoy wines with more balance, less fruit and more structure,” Autry said.

“Statistics show that Americans are drinking more and more wine and the worldwide market moves to match their changing tastes. For this reason, I think that French Malbecs from the Cahors region will gain in popularity.

“The prices of these wines remains competitive with other Malbecs and so the drinker gets the best of both worlds: great wine at a great price. We are currently looking for a few more Cahors wines, as there appeal has caught us by surprise.”

By Marisa D’Vari in New York