{"id":25253,"date":"2016-01-04T16:46:39","date_gmt":"2016-01-04T21:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=25253"},"modified":"2016-02-22T11:21:04","modified_gmt":"2016-02-22T16:21:04","slug":"malbec","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/malbec\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheese + Wine: Malbec"},"content":{"rendered":"

With its lush, plummy flavors and soft, round texture, malbec is easy to love—so much so that US sales of Argentine bottles have doubled in the last decade. Indeed, the red has become a go-to for every occasion, from backyard barbecues to fancy dinners out.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a curious turn of fortune for a grape that nearly disappeared in its native France. Phylloxera, a voracious winged insect, swept the country in the 1860s and decimated vast swaths of vineyards, including those in Cahors, a region famous for its malbec. It was such a shock that locals didn\u2019t replant their grapes until the 1940s.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, though, malbec found a new home. A French agronomist traveling to Argentina in the 1850s brought along some vine cuttings and planted them in Mendoza, in the Andean foothills. The grapes loved the sunny, dry climate and became plumper than they ever had in Cahors, with sweet fruit flavors and smooth, round tannins rather than the rough and tough ones common to French versions. Today, Argentina produces nearly three-quarters of all the malbec in the world.<\/p>\n

Because of its hearty flavors and association with Argentina, malbec\u2019s obvious match is meat. Few people talk about pairing malbec with cheese. But for Karin Lawler, a former sommelier who now owns Denver\u2019s Truffle Cheese Shop<\/a> and The Truffle Table<\/a> restaurant, it\u2019s a no-brainer. \u201cWhen people are looking for something big and rich, like cabernet sauvignon, but want to try something different,\u201d she says, \u201cmalbec works well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawler suggests serving malbec with rich, nutty sheep\u2019s milk options such as Abbaye du Belloc<\/a> and Br\u00e9bis de Rossini\u00e8re. \u201cThe higher fat content [of the cheese] and the creaminess of the wine make for a melt-in-your-mouth combination,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

\"Roquefort<\/a>

Roquefort Papillon<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The only flavor challenge when it comes to Mendoza\u2019s bounty? Sweetness. \u201cMalbecs can be jammerific,\u201d Lawler says. Which is when blues come in handy. \u201cYou need more acidity for [sweeter] wines,\u201d she says. Lawler cites Roquefort Papillon<\/a>—a spreadable, raw-milk cheese with small pockets of bluing—or Avalanche Cheese Company Midnight Blue<\/a>, a firm goat\u2019s milk blue, as nice complements. <\/p>\n

Her final recommendation—Urdi\u00f1a, a Basque blue—may be the ultimate malbec sidekick. Dense and creamy, with a rich paste to mask its saltiness, Urdi\u00f1a magnifies the wine\u2019s fruit and highlights the malbec\u2019s silky texture. It\u2019s a perfect pairing, the kind that inspires intense curiosity about other dynamic duos. So grab some cheese and one of these stellar bottles—it\u2019s time to find the next great romance.<\/p>\n

Argentina<\/strong><\/p>\n