The first World Malbec Day took place across 36 countries on April 17, 2011. (We took part as well but I am not sure if this was counted). It was Argentina that conceived the idea, as it was there that this grape, that had been cultivated in southern France since Roman times, really flourished.

Malbec was introduced to Argentina back in 1853 by a Frenchman named Michel Aime Pouget. I doubt if he had any idea of how well it would flourish in the highest vineyards in our world. It is magical on virtually every day as direct sunlight shines on the vines and, typical of desert-like conditions, the temperature drops significantly at night. It’s just perfect for wine grapes that gain complexity and balance with a large diurnal temperature range.

You may wonder about water in this arid land, but all you have to do is look at the ever-dominant, snow-covered Andean peaks and you will understand the underground water and the raging streams that offer easy irrigation solutions. Not too much, but also not too little water as just the right amount is drawn upon to sustain the vineyards.

Although grapes have been grown in Argentina for many, many years it really was one family that started the production of really fine wines and that was not many years ago. I remember being in South America during the political turmoil of the early 1980s and during that period many of the more prosperous families left, including the Catena clan. They settled in California and watched as that state put New World wines on the map. They vowed that when they returned to their native land they would do the same. And they did! So many have now followed in their footsteps. We list 24 malbecs from Argentina and also have blends that feature this grape prominently.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate rates the Catena 2013 Malbec 91/100, and calls it a “textbook malbec to buy by the case”. The next step up from this winery is Catena Alta Malbec 2012 and it gets the honour of 94/100 by Parker, who talks about “incredible freshness and a mixture of violets, blueberries and bright red cherries and a seamless palate of refined tannins and a velvety texture”.

It was upon tasting an earlier vintage of this wine that I decided to travel around Argentina and establish relationships with some of the finest wineries (bodegas). We carry the lower-priced Alamos Malbec from the younger vineyards of Catena and also their top single vineyards such as Adriana and Argentina.

We are very happy with the local connections as two members of our international business community are involved with vineyards there. Gubinelli Malbec and their reserve malbec are from a small producer that started from bare land a few years ago and they do well here as the wines are good and the owner has many friends on the island!

One reviewer says of the reserve: “I love this wine, the bouquet is wonderful, celebrating dark cherry and oak. This is a real winner despite coming from young vines”.

You will find the fingerprints of the owners on the labels of Alpasion Malbec 2013 and their Private Selection Malbec 2012; “Bill” is our local connection. If you like rich, juicy, well-made wines you really should give these a try.

I often write about two French-owned, boutique, state-of-the-art wineries called Fabre Montmayou and Atamisque and between them we carry five extremely well-made malbecs.

Bodega Nomeia in Patagonia is exceptional and most of the three malbecs that we stock from them are farmed biodynamically. And on the list goes — Luca, Achaval-Ferrer and Caro.

Why not make this a weekend to celebrate with malbec? Buy a fine steak and imagine that you are somewhere in Mendoza staring at the peaks that tower three or four miles into the bright clear sky.

This column is a paid-for advertorial for Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. Michael Robinson is Director of Wine at Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. He can be contacted at mrobinson@bll.bm or 295-0176. Burrows Lightbourn has stores in Hamilton (Front Street East, 295-1554), Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355) and St George’s (York Street, 297-0409). A selection of their wines, beers and spirits is available online at www.wineonline.bm.