The 4th annual International Wine Forum in Mendoza, Argentina saw many industry leaders and experts gather to discuss the future of Malbec, wine and Argentina. Among the topics discussed was the direction of the signature Argentine wine industry, Malbec.
Exports are way up in terms of both volume and dollar value, and everyday we are reading more about and hearing more about the fabulous wines coming out of Argentina. So how could it be possible to make Malbec more marketable? Several ways:
1. Branding efforts. Big wineries are developing the brands of wine that they don’t classically deal in. Now, Anuva doesn’t deal with big wineries at all, but we are a tiny piece of the wine industry in Argentina, and we do have to pay attention to the things that Trapiche, Zuccardi and Catena are doing. The first two, known as makers of table wine primarily, are putting huge amounts of dollars and effort behind creating higher end Malbecs. Zuccardi now has Q and Z and both wineries are coming out with single vineyard Malbecs. Catena, traditionally a higher end producer, is concentrating tons of effort on its Alamos brand and Salentein with its Callia brand (due out in the U.S. before the end of the year).
2. Flexible styles. Malbec from Argentina can be made into a soft, fruit forward wine and also a concentrated oak aged powerhouse. This means that within the same varietal, many variations can be found that would please people with different tastes.
3. Unbeatable price/quality relationship. Argentina has the lowest labor and lowest land costs out of any major wine making region in the world. That means that all the quality gets to the consumer at less cost.
Here is what the American Association of Wine Economists have said about Malbec and Argentina (taken from this link):
“The Association’s working paper showed that “a driving force of Argentina’s export boom has been the admirable quality of its wines, particularly the attraction of its emblematic Malbec. But given that its uniqueness is a key element of Malbec’s appeal, is the wine’s lure ultimately a temporary fad? Will consumers tire of Malbec in time? Should the Argentine industry continue to stake its fortunes largely on this one successful varietal, or should it seek to promote new wines on the international market?”
Stein answers these questions by highlighting the opinion of experts, most of whom “voice optimism about the long-term prospects of Malbec. Among its enthusiasts are some of the wine world’s most influential critics and consultants. Remember that Robert Parker hardly evoked the image of a passing fancy when he asserted that during the next decade Malbec would take its place among ‘the pantheon of noble wines.’ Parker’s Argentine representative Jay Miller expressed similar views on his recent visits to Argentina: ‘To conquer the market, Argentina should continue promoting Malbec….Malbec is what distinguishes Argentina within the multitude….Malbec is real, it is not something that will go out of style….Malbec has great room to grow, because from its entry-price wines on up you find very good options.’ Renowned French consultant Michel Rolland is even more categorical in his support: ‘There is no reason for Argentina to change varietal. It is functioning so well with Malbec that I see no reason to try something else.’”
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