From France to Argentina and Back to Germany
The history of Malbec in Argentina is a remarkable story worth telling. Originating from the Cahors region in southwestern France, it arrived in Argentina in the mid-19th century through Michel Aimé Pouget, a French botanist hired by then-president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento to develop viticulture in the Cuyo region, Sarmiento’s homeland.
The Phylloxera Crisis and the Opportunity in Argentina
This coincided with a time when a phylloxera plague devastated large swathes of vineyards in France, wiping out, among other varieties, Malbec, which had a prominent and ancient history in that country.
This coincidence is also notable with the history of our own country, which, under Sarmiento’s presidency, began to receive a wave of immigration from various southwestern European countries. Like the disillusioned Europeans who arrived in Argentina, Malbec quickly found fertile soil to take root and grow.
The Professionalization of Malbec
While at one point the country focused more on producing lower-quality, high-volume wine, it was in the mid-1990s, during the presidency of Carlos Saúl Menem, that the industry professionalized. The arrival of international investors acted as a catalyst that transformed the business. It was precisely at that moment that Malbec became very popular in Argentina and has not stopped growing since. Today, we find Malbec vines in unexpected places like:
- Patagonia
- Puna
A Personal Story
This history also reflects my own family’s story. I am a great-grandson or great-great-grandson of immigrants who found in Argentina a new place to settle and thrive. In fact, my mother’s family once owned a winery in Mendoza under the Corinto brand, and I have countless memories of fetching bottles from a room next to the service quarters used as a wine cellar.
On my father’s side, I was introduced to German culture, and it was he who planted his own vine in me, with the dream that one day it would bear fruit and bring, why not, our surname back to the Germany of his grandfather. I didn’t just bring the surname; I am now also bringing our wines. My clear goal is to develop and promote Argentine wine and culture in Germany. I undertake this task with pride, passion, and above all, a lot of love. Because everything that leaves one day returns. Like the Malbec vines and like this great-grandson of immigrants.
Long live 1000malbecs.com
Federico Augspach