Wine grapes sometimes take the back roads on their journey to stardom. Languishing in obscurity until some unforeseen force in the wine universe parts the curtain and allows them to find their place in the limelight (or sunlight). Waiting for a maverick winemaker or perhaps an entire wine region of them to transform a hidden gem from also-ran status to the A-List.

Take the curious case of Malbec, for instance. What's a Malbec, you ask? Undoubtedly one of the hottest “it” grapes this side of Pinot Noir. A red wine varietal now starring on wine lists coast-to-coast, its virtues heralded by trendy sommeliers, hot-shot wine critics, and the darling of celebrity chefs everywhere. A star is born!

Wasn't always the case, of course. Malbec, a Bordeaux grape variety, was until recently the Rodney Dangerfield of the family which included such esteemed members as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.    No respect! Here's a grape that the Bordelais themselves relegated to the bench after the season of '56 (devastated by frost). Even in its ancestral home, Malbec is rarely more than a supporting cast member. It's often added in minuscule quantities to the wines that feature its more prestigious cousins; included only to increase color, perfume and structure.

Malbec has been headliner a little further south in the French Appellation of Cahors. But the locals refer to it by the name Auxerrois.  Doesn't quite roll off the tongue, does it?  Besides, no matter how tasty the wines of Cahors are (and they're definitely tasty!), Cahors lacks Bordeaux's worldwide appeal – a reputation garnered from being the great wine of collectors for centuries and winedom's grandest stage.

What Malbec needed was a big break in another wine locale. And fortunately, some forward-thinking individuals thought it would be perfect to plant vine cuttings from France in the foothills of the Andes – in Argentina. Today, the Mendoza region is home to the greatest concentration of Malbec vines in the Western Hemisphere, much of it old vine and phylloxera free.

And it is here that it reaches its zenith, producing full-bodied, purple hued wines with fists-full of blueberry and plum scented fruit often with rich spicy undertones from aging in new wood casks. If you like Cabernet and Merlot, you'll pretty much like Malbec.

What's the ideal food pairing for such a noble beast of a wine? Why, beef, of course! Besides wine and Tango, the Argentines are famous for their steak. Free range and grass fed. They eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner (or so it seems). And nothing is better to wash down the local beef than a glass of Malbec.

And the best part of searching for Malbec these days is the ratio of quality to price. The US dollar is strong against the Argentine Peso so it is very easy to find really tasty Malbec for less than $20. Wine with this much character could sell for double the price.

Guess that makes it a Star of Values too.

Jim Greeley

Wine Supervisor SW Florida