Dr Laura Catena and Alejandro Vigil launch book telling the story of Malbec

Malbec Mon Amour follows Dr Laura Catena and head winemaker Alejandro Vigil on a road trip through the Uco Valley; exploring the history, geology, and development of Malbec since Roman times – and a nod to the pioneering work of Nicolas Catena.

Dr Laura Catena commented of the book:

“Malbec mon amour, our book, has been in the works for over ten years. We wanted to tell the story of Malbec, because it is the most beautiful story, a story of near extinction, rebirth and in a joyful end, the story of how a plant has elevated the lives of millions of people for over 2,000 years. We had the vision of a book that would reflect the fun and inspiration that Alejandro and I experience on our daily rides through the vineyards of Mendoza. Why “mon amour”? Let us not forget that Alejandro Vigil has Malbec tattooed on his arm, and that my family’s journey from Italy to Argentina began 120 years ago with a plant of Malbec.”

Malbec Mon Amour is available for purchase online now at Amazon.

Dr Laura added, “Alejandro and I see the world of wine, its ancient history, its terroir, its people, its soils andclimate in very romantic and artistic terms. But at the same time, we are both scientists. This illustrated book combines the art and science of wine in a way that has never been done before. It tells the story of how the Malbec variety went from fame to near-extinction and back, and why Malbec is so much more than a wine variety. It is a wine that tells the history of humanity and the journey of people and plants across continents, and like an immigrant (person) who adapts better to the new land than the old, Malbec mirrors the human experience of immigration in the plant world.”

You can read db’s interview with Dr Lara Catena here.