This April 17th is the Malbec World Day or, as they call it in Argentina, Día Mundial del Malbec. This wine, made from grapes of french origin, has become an iconic part of the argentinian table, and the celebration commemorate the day in which former Argentinian president, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (1868 - 1874) formally decided to transform the wine industry of his country. The grape once was know as the black wine of Cahors, french region where it was produced; but after the filoxera disease (and disaster), the Malbec grapes in France, along with many other varieties, were destroyed.
Today, we will celebrate this amazing wine with an exercise of imagination: What if Malbec was a person, and he (because it would be a HE for sure) could speak with us? Let's imagine meeting Mr Malbec in the beautiful Cafè de los Angelitos in Buenos Aires, a place to have coffee and pastries during the day, and tango and wine at night. He is meeting us at a table for two, and already ordered a bottle of his favorite wine. At the sight of us, he greet us the Argentinian way, no cheeks remained un-kissed.
His perfume reminded us of berries, spices, violets and a hint of leather. He looked formal, but not uptight; mature but not old; and his expression was intense but never aggressive.
Why Argentina?
"Well, my grandparents wanted to see the world, so they moved from France when a friend invited them to Mendoza. Actually, they were lucky to have left, because just a few years later, a plague destroyed their old home".
Do you ever wish to go back to Cahors, France?
"Sometimes... In fact some of my sons and nephews have moved there lately, while others have left to try their fortune in South Africa, Mexico, Chile, even Australia. Anyway, I am happy here; where else would I enjoy a good asado argentino? (he laughs).
While we talked, a couple walks by and recognizes him. They stop and greet him, and I gladly take a picture of them with Mr Malbec. He is a big celebrity around here, and everyone who sees him smiles and says hello while he waves back".
Who is your favorite character?
"I really like strong characters that are ready for action but never out of style. I prefer the rebel type of heroes; personality over perfection, and always a good sense of humour. Maybe Iron Man, he's cool".
Tell us something we may not know about you...
"I actually like vegetarian dishes a lot, and I a wonderful tango dancer".
For more info on Malbec World Day check out the official Website.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Cheers for your comment