SOME QUOTES ABOUT THE MALBEC ARGENTINO LABEL

“In the second figure, we thought of the faceless immigrant, of today’s millions of refugees worldwide, and looking towards the past, of the hundreds of thousands of Italians, Spaniards, men AND women who crossed the Atlantic, most under duress or to have a chance at a better life, and who embarked upon this dangerous, surely daunting journey to a New World without knowing what would come next. With our narrative, and I would argue not a fictional one at all, we wanted to remember all the women who carried a small vine with them, and cared for it for months seaborne, and planted this child, this new beginning in new lands.”

Dr. Adrianna Catena

“The figures in this label are allegorical, representing stages in the history of Malbec through symbols, rather than historical details. So each figure has her attributes, and is surrounded by emblems of the events she represents. Eleanor of Aquitaine embraces a cornucopia, with the bridge of Cahors beneath her feet; the immingrant stands over the Atlantic, in reference to the expression ‘cruzar el charco’ (to cross the puddle), originating in the 16th C and still used, an expression that narrows the distance between each side, bringing immigrants closer to the homes they left, helping them through the difficult journey ahead. Phylloxera is fairly straightforward, besieged and consumed by death. The last figure is seated on a Globe, a symbol of the Catena family’s contribution to Malbec’s global revival and worldwide recognition. Behind her the Andes, our most precious source of water; at her feet the Pyramid, in recognition of the Indigenous cultures that first transfrormed the desert of Mendoza into a fertile region. In her left hand, a vine that leads to the next generation.”

Dr. Adrianna Catena

“Historical records tell that Eleanor of Aquitaine imported her native Black Wine (what Malbec was called back then) into England when she became the wife of England’s Henry the 2nd. She is a fascinating figure. Her first husband, the French king had their marriage annulled because after two daughters, he did not think she could provide him with a male heir. Despite her position as a woman, who at that time was considered her husband’s property, Eleanor became the most powerful queen of the Middle Ages, waged wars and established a law protecting country women from being married off by their lord. She lived to the ripe age of 83, outliving both her husbands and all but two of her ten children.”

Dr. Laura Catena

“I had a lot of fun with the Phylloxera character. As a biologist I am fascinated by insects and their role in vineyards, sometimes beneficial, sometimes lethal. Part of the mystery of Phylloxera in the 19th Century was that the French scientists couldn’t understand it’s reproductive cycle because the males are almost never seen. Phylloxera the insect mostly exists in the female form. And I thought it was important that not all the women on the label be “good.” We needed a villain and Phylloxera was perfect for this role. Besides, who knows how history might have turned out for our Malbec, if phylloxera had not decimated the European vineyards after Malbec was brought to Argentina.”

Dr. Laura Catena

“In my sister Adrianna’s first proposal, the fourth woman was supposed to be me. But I thought it should be Adrianna because she was there with my father when he was planting vineyards in the early 1990’s, at extreme high altitude, in places where he was told the vine would not ripen. My sister was there to support my father during these uncertain times, while my brother and I were in college in the USA. Plus, she had the vision for the label. And finally, because I still couldn’t convince her, I just used my “older sister” voice and she agreed…reluctantly. I just love looking at her beautiful strong face on the label."

Dr. Laura Catena

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