Malbec

For majority of novice wine lovers and oenophils Malbec is the new favorite.One of the red varietal which has gained a large fan following in the recent decade
A red varietal with purple grapes , it is for long known as one of the 6 grapes allowed to blend in the red Bordeaux wine. Recently celebrated as the Argentine varietal.A thin skinned grape which needs more sun than usual to mature.it ripens mid season with a strong tannin and a striking deep red color which tends to lend it purplish tinge soon.

Malbec is rich and juicy and the aromas of vanilla and leather are blended by its aging in oak barrel for a limited cellar storing upto 5 years only.
The French style of Malbec  is a "rustic" version of Merlot, which is softer in tannins but with a fruity youthful flavor of blackberry.
The Malbec of the Cahors contains more amount of phenolic compounds and large amount of tannic that provides it the dark inky color.
The Argentine, Malbec when ripe is more soft and plush.Sometimes the acidity of these wine are too low which gives it the weaker flabby taste.
History

Originated in France Malbec , a black variety grows mainly in the Loire Valley as one of the six grapes used to make the famous Bordeaux wines. In the late 1800s, a French agricultural engineer began experimenting with growing Malbec in the South American country of Argentina. It was a success, and in fact, the grapes grown in Argentina produced a softer with less concentration of tannins.

Called Auxerrois or Côt Noir in Cahors, called Malbec in Bordeaux, and Pressac in other places, the grape lost its popularity when more than 75% of the crop was killed by frost. It is also believed that Malbec has been named after the Hungarian peasant who went about spreading the first plantation throughout France ..But the French viticulturalist Pierre Galet says that Côt was the variety's initial name and which  probably originated in northern Burgundy. But it should be noted that the grape Malbec argenté is not Malbec .
Synonyms

The French ampelographer Pierre Galet documented thousands of synonyms from over 30 different countries.Some of them are as follows:
• Costa Rosa,
• Cot A Queue
Auxerrois,
• Auxerrois
• De Laquenexy,
• Auxerrois
• Des Moines
• De Picpus,
• Auxerrois
• Calarin,
Du Mans,
•  Blanc ,
• Beran,
• Balouzat,
• Cahors,
•  Cauli,

And sum including Verte, Grifforin,Cotes Rouges, Jacobain,Magret,Doux Noir, Estrangey, Gourdaux, Grelot De Tours

Food paring

It is definitely a red meat wine that is adaptable enough to stand up to spicy Mexican, Cajun, Indian or Italian fare (especially with tomato-based sauces). Consider giving Malbec a go with barbecue, chili and sausage.
the mid-bodied flavor of this wine makes it perfect for roast meat. Cherry ,raspberry, plum and chocolate are the main underlying flavor of a good Malbec wine. The amazing food pairing and its fruity flavor have dramatically hiked the demand of this wine in the recent decade seen.
Malbec and Health
the early 1990s  saw a massive resurgence in the consumption of red wine, because of the ideas based on their underlying health benefits and Malbec was the main beneficiary here this is due to OLIGOMERIC PROCYANDINS , a kind of polyphenol present in red wines especially Malbec.

Regions

Malbec is the dominant red varietal in Cahors. The once 50,000 hectares of Malbec plantation have seen an additional area of plantation in Mendoza, La Rioja, Salta, San Juan, Catamarca and Buenos Aires. Chile has about 6,000 hectares planted, whereas France constitutes 5,300 hectares and the cooler regions of California just 45 hectares. The grapes of California is primarily used for making Meritage
Washington state, New Zealand, South Africa ,Australia British Columbia, the Long Island AVA of New York, Oregon, southern Bolivia, north eastern Italy also hold Malbec plantation.