Grown mostly in South America, its popularity has made it almost synonymous with Argentina, the wine producing powerhouse which has now adopted the varietal as it's national grape. While many offer bursting juicy fruit including blackberries, cherries, and plums, the grape is also capable of extended oak-ageing adding spice box, tobacco and leather aromas, as well as a richer texture on the pallate. Originally a vineyard neighbor alongside Carmenere (another French expat) in Bordeaux, Malbec is mostly planted in the neighboring regions of south west France. The town of Cahor, just north east of Bordeaux, is probably the varietals most important region in the country, where it's required to make up at least 70% of the blend. Although a simplification, French versions tend to be drier and more tannic, however they can still display great concentration and depth.
La Rioja is a wine region in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in western Argentina, north of Mendoza and San Juan. The mountainous terroir of the region is particularly suited to the white-grape variety Torrontes, which produces crisp, aromatic white wines. Locals argue that La Rioja was one of the first Argentinian regions to have vines planted in it, and Spanish settlers in the late 16th Century are widely credited with being the first to plant grapes here. In fact, La Rioja was named for the northern Spanish region of the same name by Juan Ramirez de Velasco, a Spaniard from Rioja itself. This has caused some animosity between the two regions: in 2011, the Argentinian province won a court case allowing it to continue to label its wines as 'La Rioja Argentina'.
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Red wine is wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties. The color of red differs based on the grapes variety or varieties used.Interestingly, black grapes yield a juice that is greenish-white. The actual red color comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) from the skin of the grape (exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice). Most of the production centers around the extraction of color and flavor from the grape skin.
