Tag: Argentina Wine Regions

Discover the different wine regions in Argentina, the fifth wine production country in the world. Wine production started five centuries ago in Argentina, where wine is considered the national drink. The Spanish were the first that grew vines in the large and varied Argentine terroirs. Thus, the main grape varieties used in Argentine wines are foreign, such as the Malbec or the Cabernet Sauvignon, both native to France. The main Argentine wine regions are Salta and the Norte, Mendoza, San Juan and Patagonia. In the Norte and Salta regions, vineyards spread throughout the Valles Calchaquíes and are characterised by their high altitudes, since they are on the edge of the Andes mountain range. The main production hub is Cafayate, although Catamarca and Tucumán are also relevant. Here, Torrontés variety is grown for producing a sweet refreshing white wine. Going down south, Cuyo region and the province of Mendoza are located. Mendoza is the most important wine producing area in the country with 60% of the national wine production –and it is also one of the most important regions in the world when it comes to exports. Bodega Argento is located there. Within Mendoza, the main subregions are the Uco Valley, Luján de Cuyo, Agrelo and San Rafael. The vines grown in this area, at the foot of the Andes mountain range, are assorted. However, for red wines, the most important ones are Malbec, Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah and, for white wines, the most important ones are Torrontés, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. The second most important wine producer in Argentina is San Juan, to the north of Mendoza, where Syrah is the main stock variety. Tulum, Zonda and Ullum valleys stand out in the area. The fourth big wine region in Argentina is Patagonia, to the south of the country, with big plains and less altitude than the rest of the country. Here the production is focused on Rio Negro and Rio Colorado valleys. The most popular wine varieties are Pinot Noir, Sémillon and Malbec. Discover, by the hand of the collaborators of Bodega Argento’s blog, the features of the different Argentine wine regions, the main wineries, the best routes to tour them and the curiosities about wine production in each of them. And meet some of the best sommeliers in Argentina and the world.

Foreign Matter: International Winemakers in Argentina

Malbec Vineyard Mendoza Argentina

If a developing country’s economic health can in part be judged by the foreign investment it attracts, then by the same yardstick Argentina’s wine industry appears to be in fantastic shape. Some of the biggest names of the global wine fraternity been drawn here, and they have all come to make high quality wines.

March 28th, 2011

Lesser Known Argentina Wine Regions: Catamarca

If you´re the kind of serious Argentina wine drinker who thinks Mendoza is soooo 2005, strap on a good pair of boots and head for Catamarca in Argentina´s wild, wild west. If the malbec doesn´t grab you, the scenery will

September 17th, 2010

Argentina’s Sauvignon Blanc – Could It Be a Contender?

New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc – a wine described as a “bungee jump into a gooseberry bush”, celebrates its 25th birthday this year. The country’s most iconic wine managed to kick-start the great Kiwi invasion of the wine shelves and in doing so helped launch a whole new generation of intense, grassy, nettle-scented Sauvignons.

Yet for all its popularity, it is just one style of this mouth-watering wine. For those who have grown tired of nettles and gooseberries, or who simply want to explore what else this versatile grape can offer, a trip to Argentina could well be an eye-opener.

August 25th, 2010

Argentina Wine Regions: Mendoza

Mendoza is the great throbbing heart of Argentine wine. The province is home to some 1200 wineries and produces over a billion litres a year – almost two thirds of the country’s total and nine out of ten bottles exported. Almost all Argentina’s top producers are based here, even if many make wine from other regions, notably Torrontés from the northern province of Salta. The reason for Mendoza’s pre-eminence in Argentine wine is…

February 26th, 2010

Argentina Wine Regions: Salta

If you have made it all the way to Argentina, you really should try and find time to visit Salta – home of the highest and perhaps most spectacular vineyards in the world. But be patient – arriving in the provincial capital of Salta after the flight north from Buenos Aires is barely the start. It is a good four hours drive to the town of Cafayate and the fertile Calchaquí Valley – the main wine region of Salta. Along the way you will probably despair of ever seeing a vineyard. The fields of maize and tobacco that surround Salta soon give way to desert where nothing grows save giant cacti flicking V-signs at the sky…

Argentina Wine Regions: Patagonia

It is fair to say that the southern cone of Argentina is not immediately synonymous with wine. Instead, for those that know it, Patagonia – conjures up images of wide prairies, isolated sheep farms, lakes and forests. It is landscape of lonesome beauty scoured by the constant wind, which stretches south until it finally reaches the frozen tip of Tierra del Fuego. Here the great Latin American landmass tapers into the sea, its spectacular glaciers pointing the way to the South Pole. For millions of others however, Patagonia is simply just a brand of outdoor clothing…

Know La Rioja, the famous wine region of Argentina

This relatively unknown province was bound to make wine if you think of its Spanish namesake. In fact La Rioja claims to have the longest continued history of wine production in Argentina, having been planted with grapes by Spanish missionaries in the mid-16th century. La Rioja is a gruelling, seven hour drive north from Mendoza, passing through the province of San Juan on the way…