I love specialisation. There's an arrogance to thinking that you can do everything and sometimes it's just right to do one thing perfectly. My favorite shop ever was the Bo Bech bread shop in Copenhagen which, for a couple of years, sold just ONE kind of bread from a simple room with a pine table piled high with loaves. I just loved the clear-sighted vision and the confidence.
Malbeck (and I'm not drunk, that IS the spelling), in our local stamping ground of Vesterbro, has a similar single viewpoint. They only sell Argentinian wine. Period. There's something so lovely and straight-forward about that. There's a good variety of grape types, with wines available by the glass and by the bottle and the knowledgeable staff are more than willing to talk you through the menu if your understanding of Argentina stops at corned beef and tango. This being Denmark, prices range from expensive to really expensive but the Lorca Fantasia or the Ique are both delicious and won't use up all your kroner. There's usually a plate of charcuterie or cheese available if you get the munchies too.
The bar is tiny, with an unpretentious decor vaguely reminiscent of a student union - albeit with Verner Panton lighting - with simple painted walls, a frieze of Argentinian magazine cuttings and, weirdly, a large print of a transvestite biker. An ingenious ramped system of seating with cushions and pull out stools-cum-tables means however that the place can get packed from late afternoon right through to the early hours. And for those of you who would rather drink at home, the bar has opened a wine store directly next door for take-aways.
Malbeck Vinbar
Istegade 61
1650 Copenhagen V
Tel. 33 31 19 70
