Chapter 1 of 4

The classic Malbec

It isn't an accident or marketing. Malbec has firm tannins, and tannins bind to fat and protein — so each sip of Malbec scrubs the richness of the beef from your palate and resets it for the next bite. At the same time, Malbec's dark plum-and-blackberry fruit echoes the sweet, smoky char of meat cooked over wood embers. Structure cuts the fat; fruit mirrors the smoke. That is the whole secret, and it is why a simple grass-fed sirloin with nothing but coarse salt is the truest test of a good Malbec.

The classic Malbec
Up next, Chapter 2 of 4 Match the weight of the wine to the weight of the dish light with light, bold with bold. Read Chapter 2: Beyond Malbec →