"Malbec mon amour written by two directors at the Bodega Catena Zapata winery in Mendoza, tells the story of a grape that likes to travel. Though its roots go deep in France and its origins might be traced to ancient Rome, the malbec grape has become identified with Argentina. It was brought there in the mid-19th century, where it became the country's dominant red varietal. Dr. Laura Catena -- a physician, the managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata, the founder of Catena Institute of Wine and a fourth-generation member of the Catena Zapata family in Mendoza -- has written a lively illustrated book, "Malbec Mon Amour," with Alejandro Vigil, the wine director at the family's winery. It offers general yet detailed information about winemaking and malbec history; describes grape cultivation, terroir and the effects of climate change; explains the specific characteristics of malbec and why it's suited to conditions in Argentina, notably in the Cuyo region including Mendoza; and tells the story of the Catena Zapata family. For the professional, characteristics of the many Catena Zapata vineyards might be of interest."
--Florence Fabricant, The New York Times, January 19th, 2022
"Three is a number that is full of tension because it defies a casual "either/or" classification, and it is significant that Malbec Mon Amour is built around a number of threes. There are, first of all, the book's three protagonists: Catena, Vigil, and Malbec itself. [...] Then there are the three sides of Malbec as presented here. First is Malbec's history in France [...] Then comes the history in Argentina [...] And finally there is Malbec's history with the Catena family, since family is paramount here.
The book works at several levels and becomes more detailed and technical as the story unfolds. The final sections, which examine in some depth the particular regions and vineyards in Argentina is real wine-geek stuff. Except that the scientific tension is broken by a Catena-Vigil conversation about art, music, family, and even food. Malbec Mon Amour is a worthy addition to your wine bookshelf. Three cheers (of course!) for Malbec Mon Amour!"
--Mike Veseth, The Wine Economist, January 25, 2022