We were about to have dinner at my house and my good friend Mr. Vino was pulling a bottle of wine out of a bag he had brought.

I had some filets marinated with merlot and garlic in the broiler and Mr. Vino pulled out a bottle of Catena Malbec. He was humming a tune from Evita, the show-stopping “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.”

Not being very literate about South American wines, I asked Mr. Vino why malbec has become all the rage.

He answered while pulling up the cork. “I think wine drinkers are as curios as cats; we want to try new wines,” he said. “It is the excitement of discovery that fuels us. Finding a wine and falling in love with it and then sharing it friends, that is what wine drinking is all about.”

He poured me a large glass of wine. It was a lush, deep-red color with a brownish tinge and was a wee bit spicy on the nose.

“Malbec, as you know, is one of five Bordeaux red grape varietals, along with grapes like cabernet sauvignon and merlot,” Mr. Vino continued. “Malbec, however, because it is prone to frost, has fallen into disuse in Bordeaux, where the winemakers prefer blending with merlot, cab franc and cabernet sauvignon. Malbec is grown in southwestern France and makes a very fine wine called Cahors.”

Mr. Vino poured himself a generous glass and went on: “In the new world, it has found a real home in Argentina, where it flourishes. In the vineyards of Mendoza, which lie in the shadow of the great Andes Mountains, is where you can find great malbec. Great wines are produced in the high altitudes, some 3,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level; the small amount of rainfall along with the altitude creates conditions that produce fine wines.”

As I tasted the wine, it was smooth and plummy on the palate, and had hints of cassis and black pepper. The wine had the smoothness of merlot, the structure of cabernet sauvignon and the spiciness of zinfandel. It was wonderful.

Mr. Vino noted my fondness for the wine with a twinkle in his eye. He then reached deep into his magic bag and pulled out another wine called Caro, a joint venture between Catena and the famous Lafite-Rothschild.

As we sat down to dinner, Mr. Vino could not contain his enthusiasm for the wine. “I have always been a huge fan of Lafite-Rothschild,” he said. “To me, Chateau Lafite is the greatest winery in the world.”

I could argue with Mr. Vino that I felt Chateau Mouton was, but I left that debate for another day.

“The Catena family has been making wines in Mendoza since 1902, and for three generations have made some of the finest produced in South America,” Mr. Vino continued. “The Domaines of Lafite-Rothschild are no stranger to South America, making the terrific Los Vascos in Chile.”

“I am very fond of the Los Vascos wines,” I said as I opened the bottle of Caro. “Their cabernet sauvignon is a real wine, unlike a lot of the wines coming out of Chile, which taste like Welch’s Grape Juice.”

“Very true,” Mr. Vino responded, nodding his head. “I love Le Dix de Los Vascos, a cabernet sauvignon that mirrors the beauty of Chateau Lafite.”

“I love that wine,” I said after taking a bite of my yummy filet.

“To your health, my friend,” Mr. Vino said as we lifted glasses.

“Thanks.” I tasted the wine, which was mostly a cabernet sauvignon, and I mentioned that to Mr. Vino.

“Right,” he said. “The wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and malbec. It is about two-thirds cabernet and the balance malbec. I think the wine is a perfect blend of the Argentinean style and the Bordeaux structure.”

I couldn’t disagree with Mr. Vino. The wine had a very luscious mouth feel and was very rich in the finish. My tongue was loving life.

Mr. Vino went on with his discussion of Argentina’s fine wines. “A lot of varietals have found a home in Argentina. Besides the usual suspects – cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay – the most planted red grape is the Italian varietal bonarda from Piedmont, which produces a lush, fleshy red wine. The Argentineans are also planting the great Rioja red varietal, tempranillo, with very good results.”

We finished the bottle of Caro and called it a night.