阿根廷「馬爾貝克世界日」

阿根廷「馬爾貝克世界日」 可瞭解阿根廷葡酒根源
MALBEC WORLD DAY

阿根廷葡酒近年在美國、英國、俄國、加拿大、巴西、拉丁美洲大受歡迎，並瞬間佔一定份量的市場率，而在亞洲地區、特別是中國內地市場漸受葡酒愛好者所熟悉。

阿根廷從今年開始，把四月十七日定為馬爾貝克世界日(Malbec World Day)。馬爾貝克(Malbec)是一種葡萄品種，最早源自法國波爾多，後又再移植至法國西南部的卡奧爾 (Cahors)地區。一八五二年，有一位阿根廷著名的政治家邀請了一位法國傑出的農業專家往阿根廷研究發展葡酒業，經過調查研究後，這位阿根廷政治家於一八五三年四月十七日向政府提出一份發展計劃書，拓展葡酒業並積極從法國引進各種上佳葡萄品種到阿根廷，而Malbec便是其中一種。

時至今日，阿根廷產的Malbec品種的葡酒，不但品質優良，而且產量豐富，更成為世界上盛產Malbec葡酒的國家之一。為推廣阿國葡酒，阿根廷葡萄酒出口協會把每年的四月十七日定為馬爾貝克世界日。當日，紐約、英國倫敦、阿根廷門多薩以及世界多個城市都有慶祝活動舉行。作為世界紅酒中心的香港當然也不會例外，阿根廷駐港總領事館在香港著名的探戈餐廳(Tango Restaurant)舉行了「馬爾貝克世界日」招待會，香港十多家阿根廷Malbec葡酒經銷商在場內向來賓們推介其產品，使香港葡酒愛好者對阿根廷葡酒有進一步的瞭解。

劍生

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Wines of Argentina, the organization responsible for promoting the image of Argentine wines around the world, decided to establish April 17 as Malbec World Day to honor the country’s emblematic variety.

Malbec has been acclaimed by European palates – especially the English and French – who have indulged in this variety since the times of the Roman Empire. Centuries later, this variety found in Argentina the ideal environment, reaching unprecedented levels of quality and producing unique wines of international renown.

Today Argentina is the largest producer of Malbec in the world. And Malbec has become the national star variety, one that is grown all over the country’s wine regions. That is why Wines of Argentina decided to pay tribute to this emblematic variety by establishing Malbec World Day.

April 17 2011 is the date chosen for the celebrations that will become a must within the wine agenda worldwide. The cities of New York, London and Mendoza have been chosen to host the events organized to honor the wine that has lately experienced the greatest international growth. The Big Apple represents the North American market (the main export market for Argentine wines) and the United Kingdom stands as a symbol of the historical expansion of this variety in the European context. And Mendoza is Argentina’s wine capital and the birthplace of Malbec.

Why was April 17 chosen?
Malbec originated in Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, where this variety was cultivated and whose resulting wines bore the name of the region: Cahors. These wines were well appreciated during the times of the Roman Empire and their prestige was consolidated in the Middle Ages, but they gained full recognition in modern times. The conquest of the English market was a crucial step for the success of Cahors wines. This process started with the wedding between the King of England and the Duchess of Aquitaine, which brought the southwest of France under the English rule. Since then, the British market turned its attention to the French wine from that region, and a culture of appreciation of Malbec began to develop in England and around the world. When the phylloxera plague destroyed French viticulture towards the end of the 19th century, the “Cot” fell into oblivion. However, a culture of appreciation of Malbec had already become consolidated.

It was as a result of this that Argentine Malbec developed some time later. It was brought from France to our country by Michel Aimé Pouget (1821-1875), an agronomist who was hired by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento to run the Quinta Agronómica de Mendoza.

After the model of France, this Quinta Normal sought to incorporate new varietals as a way to boost the national wine industry. This initiative was well received by the Governor of Mendoza, Pedro Pascual Segura. On April 17 1853, they submitted a bill to the Provincial Legislature for the foundation of a Quinta Normal and a School of Agriculture. The House of Representatives passed the bill and it became a law on September 6 1853.

Pouget arrived in Mendoza in 1853, at the age of 32, and took charge of the Quinta. He brought plants, seeds and several types of grape varieties from France, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Malbec.

Towards the end of the 19th century, viticulture experienced exponential development in the hands of Italian and French immigrants, and so did Malbec, which adapted quickly to the varied terroirs offered by our geography and produced better wines than it did in its original land. In this way, over the course of time and after a lot of hard work, Malbec began to shape up as Argentina’s flagship variety.

The efforts made by Pouget, Sarmiento and the Quinta Normal of Mendoza played a key role in that process.

In the view of Wines of Argentina, April 17 is a day that represents both the transformation of Argentina’s wine industry and the starting point for the development of Malbec as its flagship variety and international emblem of the country’s viticulture and winemaking.