The Malbec grape was once common in France, a fact attested to by its hundreds of local names around the country. It's origin is in the south-west of France, where it was once a commonly added component to the Bordeaux blend. It's one of five grape varieties that are permitted under Bordeaux's appellation laws, but gradually it has been used less and less, giving way to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It's principle use was to add colour and depth - it produces an very dark, almost inky wine. Perhaps its continuing relegation is due to the fact that this thin skinned grape needs considerably more sunshine to mature properly than the Cabernet or the Merlot, and consequently is a lot less reliable in average or poor years.

Although it's a lot less planted in Bordeaux than it used to be, south of Bordeaux, in the Cahors region, it is still the dominant grape. True to its nature, here it produces a very dark wine with plenty of tannins. Known as 'the black' wine of Cahors, it was a traditional accompaniment to cassoulet, the rich hot-pot of the region, where haricot beans, pork, goose and duck are combined to make that hearty peasant dish. It's full body and tannins make it an excellent partner to the rich, fatty, cassoulets.

Outside of France the grape is planted in much of the New World, but just like the Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand, the Malbec has found its home from home in Argentina. Argentine Malbecs have considerably more elegance than the bitingly tannic wines of Cahors. Here you get a whole new flavour spectrum emerging, from chocolate to liquorice, from berries to cherries. Argentina is one of the world's great wine-producing nations and in the past couple of decades it has moved from making robust, almost rough wines, to a much more market-oriented production of crisp, clean wines. You can now find well made Cabernet, Merlot and even Tempranillo varietals from Argentina, but the Argentines have made the Malbec their own.

The Malbecs immigrant success story in Argentina wasn't all plain sailing. Back in the 1980s the Argentine government implemented a scheme to grub up existing Malbec plantations. This continued until only 10,000 acres of Malbec were left. It was around that time that the South American wine export boom began, and suddenly growers realised they had pulled up a potentially rich crop of vines and replaced them with younger, less noble vines. Since then Malbec has been replanted with vigour and almost 30,000 acres are now in production, making Malbec Argentina's wine icon.

In its New World home, the Malbec develops differently and produces wine very different from its European cousin. It comes out deep and dark in colour as you'd expect, but although the tannins are plentiful, here they emerge softer, verging on the velvety, and the fruit flavours are more pronounced. Argentinian Malbecs tend to be well-structured wines and they age very well in oak, when the tannins become smooth and amenable to easy drinking.

Wine of the Week

Santa Isabel Malbec, 2003
Argentina's economic hardships are our gain, making their wines under-priced here compared to their quality. This entry-level Malbec has all the characteristics you'd expect, it's round, smooth on the tongue, and easy to drink. It's price, too, makes it attractive.

Available Dunnes Stores, €7.99.