Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is a Malbec Claret Snap Wine Cocktail inspired by Malbec World Day. April 17 was chosen to honor the day in 1853 when then-President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento officially made it his mission to transform Argentina's wine industry by introducing new vines, including Malbec, brought from France.
The full story? In 1853, Argentina’s president, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento began implementing plans to reform Argentina’s wine-making industry. He approached Michel Aime Pouget, a French soil expert, and asked him to import new French grapevine cuttings into Argentina. One of the varietals brought back by Pouget just so happened to be the Malbec grape. On April 17, 1853, the first agronomy school in Argentina was founded, to learn how to adapt European grapes to Argentinian soil.
And learn they did. Today, over 75% of all Malbec grapes are grown in Argentina, and Malbec wine has gained popularity not just in Argentina but in countries all over the world.
The Malbec grape is used in making red wine. It is an inky purple, thick-skinned grape that originated in France. Malbec creates such an intense, dark red wine that it is sometimes blended with wines such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon to cut the intensity and smooth out the flavors.
Though Malbec originated in France, it experienced a decline in popularity in its home country, especially after a record frost occurred in 1956, destroying 75% of the Malbec vineyards there. Now, Malbec is more prominent in Argentina, becoming an emblem of that nation’s wine industry, where it established a strong foothold during the twentieth century. In 2011, the fifth largest wine producer in the world, Wines of Argentina, established April 17 as Malbec World Day, to celebrate and promote their nation’s favorite wine.
MALBEC WORLD DAY FAQS
How many grapes are needed to make a bottle of wine?
On average, it takes between 400 to 800 grapes to make a bottle of wine. It, however, also depends on the type of grape and other factors of production.
How many grapes are on one cluster?
A cluster of grapes contains about 70 to 100 grapes.
What is the most expensive wine grape in the world?
NOT the Malbec. That expensive designation belongs to the Malbec’s snooty cousin, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, which is the most expensive wine grape in the world.
MALBEC WORLD DAY ACTIVITIES
Buy Malbec grapes
Sample some Malbec grapes and see for yourself what all the noise is about. Thank us later!
Go to a wine tasting
Indulge your fancy side on this special day. Attend a wine tasting with a few of your friends and order some Argentinian Malbec.
Make a Malbec-based cocktail
Hey! We can do that here! Because our Drink Of The Day is a Malbec Claret Snap Wine Cocktail. Follow along with us below to see how it’s done.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
