You might remember that Cahors organized a tasting at the Astor Center in New York on May 12, 2009. That day, I met the young bartender of Domaine wine bar, Cyprian, in Queens. Since then, Domaine Wine Bar listed some Cahors wines available by the glass. If you're in NYC, enjoy!

Traveling West in the US is always a good way to feel the rising trends in the wine industry. California produces 80% of the wine produced in the US but is also a state open to many imported wines. The wine consumers are more aware of the new trends and willing to try new wines, new brands and new grapes.

While dining in a restaurant in San Luis Obispo, Ca., a customer told his friend he recently discovered a new style of wines produced from the Malbec grape. He bought his first bottle at Costco and fell in love with the wine. Since then, he keeps tasting every Malbec wines he can find in stores or on wine lists of restaurants. He said he loved the smoothness and fruity taste of the malbec. Up to that day he had tasted only Argentinian Malbec but was ready to try some others if he had the opportunity.

This story confirms the rise of interest for the Malbec in the US. A local wine store owner was telling me that malbec is still not very known on the West Coast because very few local wine makers were producing it. But it is a rising category - either in blends or as itself in a 100% Malbec wine.

Peachy Canyon Winery is more famous for its Zinfandel than for its Malbec. In 2006, Doug Beckett and his team launched a new brand, Ms Behave, a 100% Malbec wine, with a lovely label.

The (almost) frivolous  label should not hide the hard work behind producing the wine. Peachy Canyon Estate Vineyards are farmed using sustainable practices. The plot where the Malbec is planted is on a rather high altitude and as such helps producing quality vintages. In good years, the winery produces about 300 cases of its Ms Behave brand.

The 2006 vintage was their first one but is already showing very well after about 2 hours of opening. Floral and fruity aromas made a food-friendly wine in California style.

Malbec in California is still a very small and confidential category. Some wine makers are getting interested in this difficult but rewarding grape when their terroir shows aptitude to grow it. This is the case of Dave Corey in his Core winery. Dave makes no mystery of his love for the wines of South western France: he's an admirer of grapes such as Mourvèdre, Grenache and, of course, Malbec.

Dave Corey's main vineyard is located in eastern Santa Barbara County in the Cuyama Valley. Alta Mesa Vineyard sits perched above Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard at 3200 feet in elevation.  Directly southwest of the vineyard is a close look of Cuyama Peak at 5300 feet in elevation, a feature of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range and part of the Los Padres National Forest. The high altitude of his vineyard is one of the reasons for the adaptation of the Malbec grape. Like in Cahors where the best Malbecs come from the highest vineyards, Dave's Malbec thrives in Alta Mesa.

Dave's Malbec is part of his Turchi brand. It is 95% Malbec with 5% Merlot. His 2007 Turchi Malbec, "Block I", Santa Barbara Highlands is aged in 50% new Hungarian oak, 50% one year old Hungarian oak for 16 months in barrel. Unfortunately, Dave produces usually around 100 cases of his delicious Malbec: a small but outstanding production.

Château Vincens, from the Cahors Appellation, has now a blog in French where the most recent news on the vineyard's evolution and the wine making are posted regularly.

The South Beach Wine Club recently offered some Malbec wines to its customers. As the author, Randy, wrote elegantly, "Today, the quality of Cahors wines is on the upswing, and there’s never been a better time to try them. The foremost features of Cahors’ proud tradition remain firmly entrenched – namely, a penchant for deep flavor and sumptuous richness – while modern vineyard and winery techniques round out the old formula with heightened complexity and finesse."

Randy recommends his loyal customerrs to try Cahors Malbecs and we hope they'll follow his sound advice. Enjoy!