While the weather was not too cooperative or spending time outside with family and friends on Memorial Day weekend, warmer and sunnier days do lie ahead for the coming weekend and beyond. It is time to fire up the grill, fill your plate with its delights and summer bounty, and to add a glass or two of wine.

Travel right now happens to be quite restrictive, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot explore a far away place, right at home, in your glass. This week, City Vino takes you to South Africa with four wines from the country. Let us embark on our wine trip.

While discussing wine, terms like AOC, AOP, DOC, DOCG, AVA, and appellation are often thrown around. The acronyms and words all equate to a recognized geographical area where wine is made. Within that geographical area, there are often rules, laws, and regulations that dictate what grapes can be grown, the weight of the grapes that can be harvested off one acre or hectare, barrel aging requirements, and what percentage of grape varietals have to be in a bottle labelled with the geographical term. 

Argentina may be the country that put Malbec on the worldwide stage, but the wine’s origins tie to France—particularly to a region called Cahors. Cahors makes up part of the South West France wine region, which is to the south and southeast of Bordeaux. Malbec is also grown in Bordeaux, where it is a lesser component in Bordeaux blends.