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Washington Malbec growth continues

By Andy Perdue on January 22, 2018

Malbec grapes ripen on Washington's Red Mountain

Malbec grapes ripen on Red Mountain during the 2013 vintage. (Photo by Niranjana Perdue/Great Northwest Wine)

Malbec not only is a fast-rising star in Washington wine country, but it also is becoming a global phenomenon.

The French red variety is not only a big player in Argentina, but also in South Africa, Australia and some areas of California, particularly the arid Central Valley.

In Washington, Malbec plantings are ramping up, particularly in the Horse Heaven Hills, where plantings have doubled to more than 200 acres in the past half-decade. In the Walla Walla Valley, it’s the No. 5 variety with 131 acres. On warm Red Mountain, Malbec makes up 3 percent of the plantings with more than 70 acres.

Here a dozen examples of Northwest Malbecs we’ve tasted in recent months. Ask for them at your favorite wine merchant or contact the winery directly.

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About Andy Perdue

Andy Perdue is the editor and publisher of Great Northwest Wine. He is a third-generation journalist who has worked at newspapers since the mid-1980s and has been writing about wine since 1998. He co-founded Wine Press Northwest magazine with Eric Degerman and served as its editor-in-chief for 15 years. He is a frequent judge at international wine competitions. He is the author of "The Northwest Wine Guide: A Buyer's Handbook" (Sasquatch, 2003) and has contributed to four other books. He writes about wine for The Seattle Times. You can find him on Twitter and Google+.