South American Wine Guide, Independent Guide to the Best Wines in South America for Visitors to Peru

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South American Wines

An Introduction to the Wines of South America for Visitors to Peru

Wines from Argentina: Introduction / Regions / Notable Producers / Reviews

Introduction

Around 80% of Argentina’s vineyards are planted in the Mendoza region bordering the Andes mountains. Here, the melting snow is used for irrigation - essential to grow anything in Mendoza. It’s the French grape Malbec that makes Argentina’s flagship wine – a full bodied red wine characterised by its intense purple colour and earthy flavours. Reds are produced in a typical Bordeaux style and aged in oak using varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, as well as Tempranillo and Bonarda.

Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, Juan Cedrón (or Cidrón) brought the first vine cuttings to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighbouring regions, and then to other parts of the country.

Argentine winemakers have traditionally been more interested in quantity than quality and the country consumes 90% of the wine it produces (45 litres a year per capita according to 2006 figures). Until the early 1990s, Argentina produced more wine than any other country outside Europe, though the majority of it was considered unexportable.[1] However, the desire to increase exports fueled significant advances in quality. Argentine wines started being exported during the 1990s, and are currently growing in popularity. The devaluation of the Argentine peso in 2002, following the economic collapse, further fueled the industry as production costs decreased and tourism significantly increased, giving way to a whole new concept of wine tourism in Argentina. The past years have seen the birth of numerous tourist-friendly wineries with free tours and tastings. Some wineries even provide accommodations (such as is the case of Salentein or Tapiz) for tourists interested in staying in boutique hotels specifically oriented towards wine-tourism. The Mendoza Province is now one of Argentina's top tourist destinations and the one which has grown the most in the past years.

Argentina is the largest wine producer in South America and the 5th largest in the world, with over 1,200 million liters (2003), and the 13th largest exporter in the world (431 million USD in 2005).

Due to the high altitude and low humidity of the main wine producing regions, Argentine vineyards rarely face the problems of insects, fungi, moulds and other diseases that affect grapes in other countries. This permits cultivating with little or no pesticides, allowing even organic wines to be easily produced.

Contents [hide]
1 Regions
2 Grapes
2.1 Red
2.2 White
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Regions
The most important wine regions of the country are located in the provinces of Mendoza and San Juan (Cuyo region), and La Rioja. Salta, Catamarca, Río Negro and more recently Southern Buenos Aires are also wine producing regions. The Mendoza Province produces more than 60% of the Argentine wine and is the source of an even higher percentage of the total exports (84% by value during the first trimester of 2006).

Mendoza - Valle Central, Mendoza area, Valle de Uco, San Rafael area
San Juan - Tulum Valley, Ullum Valley and Zonda Valley
Salta - Valles Calchaquíes
La Rioja - Valle de Famatina
Catamarca - Valle de Tinogasta
Río Negro - Alto Valle
Jujuy - San Salvador de Jujuy (the northernmost wine producing province, which has produced wines at some of the highest recorded altitudes)
Neuquén - San Patricio del Chañar (developing wine region in the north of the Patagonian province)
Córdoba - Caroya
Buenos Aires - Médanos

[edit] Grapes
There are many different varieties of grapes cultivated in Argentina, reflecting her many immigrant groups. The French brought Auxerrois, which became known as Malbec, which makes most of Argentina's best known wines. The Italians brought vines that they called Bonarda, although Argentine Bonarda appears to be the Corbeau of Savoie, also known as Charbono in California, which may be related to Dolcetto. It has nothing in common with the light fruity wines made from Bonarda Piemontese in Piedmont.[2]

Torrontés is another typically Argentine grape and is mostly found in the provinces of La Rioja, San Juan, and Salta. It is a member of the Malvasia group that makes aromatic white wines. It has recently been grown in Spain. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and other international favourites are becoming more widely planted, but some varieties are cultivated characteristically in certain areas.

[edit] Red
Malbec - Mendoza (20,000 hectares), Buenos Aires
Bonarda
Cabernet Sauvignon- Buenos Aires
Sangiovese - Mendoza
Syrah - San Juan
Tempranillo - Mendoza
Merlot - Río Negro
Pinot Noir - Río Negro

[edit] White
Chardonnay - Mendoza, Buenos Aires
Torrontés - Salta, La Rioja, Mendoza and San Juan
Sauvignon Blanc- Buenos Aires
Riesling - San Juan and La Rioja
Chenin Blanc - Mendoza
Viognier - Mendoza and San Juan
Sémillon - Mendoza and Río Negro

South American Wines - An Independent Guide to the some of the Best Wines from Peru, Argentina & Chile.