Prepare for the Argentina Wine Specialist Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which grape variety is described as one of the five classic Bordeaux blending grapes but is typically bottled as a varietal wine in Argentina due to altitude?

Malbec fits this description. It is one of the traditional Bordeaux blending grapes, historically used alongside others like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. In Argentina, especially in high-altitude regions such as Mendoza, Malbec has become the flagship varietal wine. The altitude brings cooler nights and intense sunlight, which helps the grapes retain acidity, develop deep color, and concentrate flavors. These conditions let Malbec shine as a single-varietal wine with distinctive plum/blackberry fruit, violet aromas, and supple, rounded tannins. While Bordeaux grapes are grown there too, the climate and terroir at altitude make Malbec particularly well-suited to varietal bottling in Argentina.

Malbec fits this description. It is one of the traditional Bordeaux blending grapes, historically used alongside others like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. In Argentina, especially in high-altitude regions such as Mendoza, Malbec has become the flagship varietal wine. The altitude brings cooler nights and intense sunlight, which helps the grapes retain acidity, develop deep color, and concentrate flavors. These conditions let Malbec shine as a single-varietal wine with distinctive plum/blackberry fruit, violet aromas, and supple, rounded tannins. While Bordeaux grapes are grown there too, the climate and terroir at altitude make Malbec particularly well-suited to varietal bottling in Argentina.