Malbec is like a gawky, unreliable teenager who turns into a graceful, responsible adult after leaving home. The tart, tannic grape was always relegated to minor blending status in the great French vineyards of Bordeaux, but it has found a happy new home in Argentina, where it yields exceptional red wine. Argentines love their Malbec so much, they've devoted more than 70 per cent of the country's vineyard acreage to the cultivation of this single variety. Its taste has been compared to the perfect blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot because it has the body and structure of the former, and the softness and grace of the latter. That makes Malbec an ideal grape variety to pair with the summer god of Canadian cuisine: barbecued beef.
A beefy pas de deux
If there's one thing Argentine gourmands enjoy more than a glass of Malbec, it's a glass of Malbec next to a slab of well-charred beef. On the palate, the flavours swirl with passion and ferocity, like lovers in a frenzied tango. Until a few years ago, these wines were usually strong and rustic. Today, most are refined and ready to rival the world's best reds, but at a better price. It's clear the region has something special going on: in recent years, foreign investment has grown.
• An old, established winery, Finca Flichman is owned by Sogrape of Portugal, makers of Mateus. Their most popular Malbec, Misterio ($10), is soft, fruity and supremely quaffable - perfect for casual dining or large-scale entertaining.
• Italian innovator Masi has introduced the Old World technique of ripasso, wherein air-dried grapes are added to finished wine that is then refermented. Masi Tupungato, 2006 Passo Doble ($15) has a rich, raisin-fruit twang with greater concentration, complexity and, potentially, longer keepability.
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