Once upon a time in America,
red wine was called Burgundy
and white wine was called Chablis. They came in huge bottles (often one-gallon
jugs) and they were cheap. We all loved them for their price and size,
including me. It was a truly American invention. Then all of a sudden Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay came on the scene as the
latest sensations, just like Michael Jackson’s big hit album “Thriller” around
the same time in the early 1980s. We all welcomed them and they
became King and Queen of wines in America…
and Napa Valley became famous with only a few dozen
wineries (currently more than 200). In the '90s, the wine craze
continued, and Americans found new tastes in red wine (Merlot) and white (Sauvignon
Blanc). We became more sophisticated about wines, and many wine snobs were
born. In the new millennium, Sparkling
wine/Champagne and Pinot Noir
were added to our repertory and California
became one of the major wine regions of the world.
In recent years, wine merchants in America have been pushing red wine from Argentina,
especially Malbec. I remember the first time I tasted Argentine Malbec in the
late 1990s I was invited by a small group of wineries from there,
but thought the wines inky, uninteresting and lacking in market value, even
though they were pretty cheap. In the past couple of years I have been offered
quite a few new Malbecs from Argentina, and have noticed a definite improvement
in quality, but prices are higher… way too high in some instances.
Cahors is a small wine region located in the southwest of France.
Their dominant red wine is Malbec. In fact, this is the birthplace of Malbec.
Cahors is not well known in America
but has a great reputation in Europe, and if
you’re lucky you may find them very reasonably priced here (in the $15 - $25
range). When I had a grand winery tour in Bordeaux
in 2002, my French friend introduced me to the wine and I immediately fell in love
with it.
It is a pretty bold/big wine, but with a sophisticated,
silky… just plain delicious …taste.
It is perfectly suited for this time of year paired with grilled meat, poultry
and vegetables. Last week I served Cahors Malbec with grilled salmon and our
guests loved it. Try finding some and discover this wine for yourself!
Note: I purchased these wines (above photos) from my local wine shop K&L Wine Merchants;
My old journal has a note that I enjoyed the 1998 Chateau Lamartine Malbec very much when I was in Cahors in 2002. My old friend Valerie Aigron, who let me stay at her place in Bordeaux, introduced me to Cahors Malbec, and Maryanne Iff, who invited me to stay at her place in Montauban near Cahors, also provided great hospitality. French people are always nice to me. Merci!
