From France To Argentina: How Malbec Found Its True Home

Forbes

12-04-2025

Malbec is a story of survival.
Long before it became Argentina's signature grape, malbec was a mainstay of French winemaking. In the 19th century it was widely planted in Bordeaux, even outpacing cabernet sauvignon in areas like the Médoc. Today, however, its reputation is tied more closely to the Andes than the Gironde.
But malbec's survival was never guaranteed. Its path from European favorite to Argentine flagship was shaped by chance, disaster and the selective forces of climate and soil.
The shift began with the phylloxera epidemic, a blight that devastated European vineyards in the late 1800s. By then, malbec had already arrived in Argentina, introduced in 1852 by French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget. Its timing turned out to be critical.
'Yes, it's true that when malbec came to Argentina it was pre-phylloxera, 1852, and at that time malbec was more widely planted in the Medoc than cabernet sauvignon, for example,' says Dr. Laura Catena, managing director and a fourth-generation winemaker at Catena Zapata, via Zoom. 'Then after phylloxera, there's different theories about why malbec didn't get replanted widely in France.'
Those theories vary. Some believe the grape was too sensitive to weather variation. Others claim it was hard to graft. But Catena argues the real reason may have been practical: 'Merlot ripened several weeks before malbec, and the producers wanted to have an early grape and a later grape because it's a lot easier in the winery.'
France's loss became Argentina's opportunity. 'Malbec kind of almost disappears, and during all that time malbec is widely planted in Argentina and it just adapts well,' Catena says. The grape's resilience was notable. 'It has deep root systems. We have very poor soils. We have a very dry climate. Malbec actually can do well in many parts of Argentina, even in warmer climates, cooler climates.'
Argentina produces approximately 75% of the world's malbec, with the majority cultivated in Mendoza. The grape remains the most widely planted red variety in the country, accounting for 38.6% of the 224,707 hectares (555,263 acres) under vine. In 2023 alone, Argentina harvested more than 323,000 metric tons of malbec, reinforcing its dominance both domestically and internationally.
Malbec thrived in Argentina not only because of favorable growing conditions, but also because of how it was propagated. Unlike European producers who moved toward clonal selection—using genetically identical cuttings to plant vineyards—Argentine growers continued using traditional massal selection, preserving a broader range of genetic material.
'We never sort of caught on to the clonal revolution,' Catena says. 'Partly it's because of Argentina's economic and political isolation. Partly because it was really expensive to buy these clones and partly because we didn't need to graft.'
The result is that 90% of Argentine vineyards are both genetically diverse and ungrafted. 'I think that they're more resilient because when you have a climate phenomenon, some grapes are at one phase, some are at another and so you're gonna be less affected,' she says.
Spring frosts in 2023 damaged vineyards across Mendoza, contributing to Argentina's lowest wine production in more than 60 years.
Argentina's wine industry faced a significant setback in 2023, with production dropping to a six-decade low of 8.8 million hectoliters—a 23% decline from the previous year—due to spring frosts and hailstorms. Early forecasts from Catena Zapata for the 2024 vintage indicate a recovery, with the harvest expected to be at least 25% larger than 2023. Cooler conditions have delayed picking by 10 to 14 days, encouraging slower ripening and improved balance. Despite the volatility, exports remain strong. The United Kingdom and the United States continue to be the leading international markets, accounting for 26% and 20% of Argentina's still wine exports, respectively.
The implications go beyond Argentina. 'I think this is something that needs to be done in Europe, in North America,' Catena says. 'There are still some remaining vineyards that have genetic diversity and if we don't, we will have lost it.'
Genetic diversity, she argues, may be one of the most important tools viticulture has against a changing climate. 'There are some genes that once you lose them, you've lost those genes that might have some kind of secret for the future.'
That diversity also affects the wine in the glass. 'One has a little more acid, the other one has a little more sugar. One has more of one aroma, one of another,' Catena says. 'It makes sense that that wine made with that kind of diversity would be more interesting.'
The label itself is a work of art, narrating Malbec's epic journey through four symbolic women.
Malbec's history, as told through the label of a specific bottle, illustrates its survival. The Catena Zapata malbec argentino features four symbolic women: Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Immigrant, Phylloxera and the Renaissance of malbec.
'It was my sister [Adrianna Catena] who came up with the idea of telling the story through these four women,' Catena says. 'She was inspired by an art form, the Allegories of the Continents where you'd have, you know, each continent portrayed by a woman.'
The visual narrative highlights how malbec once commanded attention in France, nearly vanished after phylloxera, then reemerged in a new hemisphere. 'It's the grape with the most interesting history in the world of varieties because it's almost gone extinct so many times,' Catena says.
The grape's reemergence in Argentina was slow. 'When we started exporting malbec in the early 1990s, people had never heard of malbec. Maybe they had studied it. They hadn't tasted it,' Catena says. 'I had buyers tell me, 'Hey, this is delicious,' but I can't sell it because nobody knows what it is.'
Malbec thrives in Argentina's high-altitude vineyards, where varied climates and soils shape its character and complexity.
Recognition came gradually, driven by the wine itself. 'To me, the reason why malbec actually did well was mostly because it tastes good. You know, it won people's palates and hearts through the palate,' she says.
Catena believes the future of malbec lies in better understanding its aging potential and range. 'I think that the next chapter is for people to understand how beautifully a well-made malbec from specific terroirs can age,' she says. 'I think ageability is a really important thing for malbec in the future.'