What exactly is white Malbec? It’s an unsurprising question as this new category makes its way across wine shops, supermarkets and restaurant menus worldwide… No, there isn’t a white Malbec grape. White Malbec is a white wine made from red Malbec grapes, and has become a popular new style for Argentina’s leading grape variety.
A guide to Argentine white Malbec
Malbec has been grown widely throughout Argentina for over 150 years. While its deep purple colour and rich aromas of plums and red berries make it an ideal grape variety for making smooth, supple red wines, it can also lend itself to making other styles of wines – ranging from rose to white!
In recent years, winemakers have been experimenting with making Malbec as a white wine. The ‘blanc de noir’ technique is common for varieties such as Pinot Noir, and most especially in sparkling wine, but ‘white Malbec’ is a new innovation. Although the white wine comes from the red Malbec grapes, it is picked early for higher acidity and pressed immediately so that there is little to no skin contact and the juice comes out clear. Most producers also use fining techniques to make the wine clearer before bottling.
The first white Malbec wines appeared in Argentina in 2011 by Vicentin Family Wines and Colosso Wines, and since then there are now several wineries making this new style.
