You can count on E&J Gallo to latch on to a good thing when the market is right and currently one of the hottest imports into the US is wines from Argentina.

For the first six months of 2007, Argentin ian bottled table wines were up 23 per cent by volume and 43 per cent by value. Including bulk wines, the gain by volume was a whopping 92 per cent and 52 per cent by value.

Gallo has been looking around in Argentina for some time and has now signed an exclusive agreement to bring Gascón Malbec, made by Bodegas Escorihuela, to the US market.

Gascón has made the trip to the US before with Pasternak as the importer. However, Gallo has put the wine in a new package and says it is putting some real marketing muscle behind the brand.

Gallo spokesperson Michael Heintz said the company is committed both to Argentina as an emerging player on the world wine market, and to Malbec. He added that Ameri­cans could take to Malbec in the same way they took to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.