Marvelous Northwest Malbecs

It once was a trivia question (“Name a minor red Bordeaux grape?”) until Argentina’s Mendoza region made it famous.

Now Malbec is beginning to take a starring role in the Pacific Northwest – particularly Washington. A Wine Press Northwest judging in 2012 drew a remarkable 89 entries, while a Great Northwest Wine blind tasting showed top Washington examples keep up with the high end of Argentina.

And just last week, a Malbec from the Snake River Valley won the fifth annual Idaho Wine Competition.

Even though just a small amount is planted in the Pacific Northwest, Malbec is becoming a big deal.

Here are a dozen examples we’ve tried recently.