They were founded by the Spanish conquerors, who arrived in this territory at that time.
Then many emigrants came here from the Old World, bringing European grapevine varieties. As a result, Argentina could take for itself the best grape varieties and absorb the winemaking traditions of Europe.
Vast volumes of plain table wine were produced here not so long ago. This wine was sour because it aged incorrectly in old barrels. For this reason, the wine was not particularly exported.
Since that time, a lot has changed. In just a couple of years, the wine industry in Argentina was able to rise to a new level. This was partly because the locals started to consume less wine: the amount of wine annually drunk by one Argentinian decreased by almost three times. Therefore, wine producers needed to focus on the foreign market. And to achieve this goal, it was necessary to work significantly on the wine quality. Producers began to invest a lot of money in improving wine production and purchasing the latest equipment for the fermentation and ageing of wine.
Most of Argentina’s regions engaged in winemaking are located in the foothills of the Andes. This is because grapes ripen much better in cool areas protected from strong winds and hot sun. However, even high in the mountains, there are adverse weather conditions. For example, in spring, there may be frosts, hail may fall, or abnormal warming may start, which happens once every seven years in Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.
In total, all vineyards in Argentina cover an area of 210,000 hectares. The major winemaking regions are the Mendoza Valley, San Juan, the province of La Rioja, Salta and Rio Negro. 90% of wine production is concentrated in Mendoza.
The Mendoza Valley is sometimes called the third home of Malbec. Back in the 19th century, a French botanist brought a couple of grape cuttings from Europe, including Malbec, which took root perfectly on this land. Since then, the Malbec variety began to spread widely throughout the country.
Mendoza is unique in that there is a significant difference between day and night temperatures, a cool climate, and alluvial clay, sand and stones. All this allows the grapes to ripen in the best possible way.
The vineyards of this region became especially significant in the 19th century when work commenced on the construction of the railway, which became the link between Buenos Aires and the valley. In the same period, many European vineyards were affected by phylloxera, and the epidemic did not reach Argentina.
To the north of Mendoza is San Juan, amounting to 20% of the total wine production in the country. The climate here is hotter, but there is less rainfall. The wines of this region are inferior in quality to the wines of Mendoza, but many interesting wines can also be found here.
In Salta, the vineyards are located at an altitude of 1,500–1,700 meters above sea level. The climate here is ideal for growing Torrontes and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties. It is from them that wines with a refreshing acidityare produced.
Then many emigrants came here from the Old World, bringing European grapevine varieties. As a result, Argentina could take for itself the best grape varieties and absorb the winemaking traditions of Europe.
Vast volumes of plain table wine were produced here not so long ago. This wine was sour because it aged incorrectly in old barrels. For this reason, the wine was not particularly exported.
Since that time, a lot has changed. In just a couple of years, the wine industry in Argentina was able to rise to a new level. This was partly because the locals started to consume less wine: the amount of wine annually drunk by one Argentinian decreased by almost three times. Therefore, wine producers needed to focus on the foreign market. And to achieve this goal, it was necessary to work significantly on the wine quality. Producers began to invest a lot of money in improving wine production and purchasing the latest equipment for the fermentation and ageing of wine.
Most of Argentina’s regions engaged in winemaking are located in the foothills of the Andes. This is because grapes ripen much better in cool areas protected from strong winds and hot sun. However, even high in the mountains, there are adverse weather conditions. For example, in spring, there may be frosts, hail may fall, or abnormal warming may start, which happens once every seven years in Peru, Argentina and Ecuador.
In total, all vineyards in Argentina cover an area of 210,000 hectares. The major winemaking regions are the Mendoza Valley, San Juan, the province of La Rioja, Salta and Rio Negro. 90% of wine production is concentrated in Mendoza.
The Mendoza Valley is sometimes called the third home of Malbec. Back in the 19th century, a French botanist brought a couple of grape cuttings from Europe, including Malbec, which took root perfectly on this land. Since then, the Malbec variety began to spread widely throughout the country.
Mendoza is unique in that there is a significant difference between day and night temperatures, a cool climate, and alluvial clay, sand and stones. All this allows the grapes to ripen in the best possible way.
The vineyards of this region became especially significant in the 19th century when work commenced on the construction of the railway, which became the link between Buenos Aires and the valley. In the same period, many European vineyards were affected by phylloxera, and the epidemic did not reach Argentina.
To the north of Mendoza is San Juan, amounting to 20% of the total wine production in the country. The climate here is hotter, but there is less rainfall. The wines of this region are inferior in quality to the wines of Mendoza, but many interesting wines can also be found here.
In Salta, the vineyards are located at an altitude of 1,500–1,700 meters above sea level. The climate here is ideal for growing Torrontes and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties. It is from them that wines with a refreshing acidityare produced.