I wish I had a nickel for every Malbec I have sold in the last year. As word continues to spread about the quality of these wines I find people are very eager to explore this varietal and are pleased with the bargains they are finding. Customers often don’t even know if Malbec is a grape varietal, a region, what country to look for or what it is. They just know they have had it and like it.

Malbec originated in Southwest France and is used as a blending grape in Bordeaux, but Argentina has made it what it is today and what most people think of when looking for a Malbec. In fact, it has contributed to making Argentina one of the largest wine-producing countries in the world.

Malbec pleases both experienced and novice wine drinkers. The color is dense and often tastes of blackberry, plum and coffee. But it is the usually velvety texture that I think makes them so widely appealing. There is a lot of flavor but not a lot of hard edges.

Quality Malbecs I have tried and liked lately range anywhere from $8 to $20. Alamos and Catena are classics as are Tilia,Trivento and Cristobal. They range from medium to full-bodied and have a wide range of food pairing possibilities. This fact, along with value pricing, puts Malbec beyond a trend to a fixture in our wine world.

Rebecca Bawkon is the Wine Steward at the Busch’s on Main Street. Her biggest pleasure is getting to know people and their palates to help them navigate the world of wine.