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Wines from Argentina

Argentine Wine Industry – Fifth Largest in the World!

Argentina, which is located at the southernmost corner of the American Continent, is the fifth largest wine producer in the globe.

This country is gifted with one of the natural reserves on this planet.

Wines from Argentina

We could say that the country has developed an outstanding wine industry in five centuries.

What makes the wines from Argentina unique is the combined effect of altitude, temperature ranges, technologies, and more importantly the wine culture.

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Vineyards
Wine grape varieties

These factors altogether gave the wines the unique identity, as well as quality.

Here, let’s see Argentina as a wine country in detail…

A Little Note on the History

The history of wine production, as well as consumption in Argentina, can be dated to more than 400 years ago when the first plantings of ‘Vitis vinifera’ were brought by the Spanish colonizers.

It was found that the first commercial vineyard was planted as early as 1557 which was then followed by the expansion in Mendoza, which is a world-famous wine region today.

The expansion of viticulture in Argentina led to several changes with regards to land, landscape, and architecture.

With all these changes in place, a new era of wine production began in the country by the 1980s and 1990s.

Unique Environment for the Production of Great-Tasting Wines

As mentioned earlier, several factors are responsible for the great-tasting wines from Argentina. Let’s see them one-by-one here:

Altitude

In Argentina, the altitude is generating microclimates and variation in terroirs. Both these are imparting a unique feature in the country’s viticulture.

This distinctive feature is setting Argentina apart from rest of the world and renders some extraordinary expression and variety in the country’s wines.

Continental Climate

Yes, the climate, which is an important factor for wine grape cultivation is perfect in Argentina.

Here, the wine regions are found to be located in the high-altitude valleys and in the desert regions that are far from the oceans thus making them one among the world’s few continental wine producing regions.

Terroir Extension and Diversity

Argentina is found to be offering the chances to produce quality wine grapes in a larger space.

Being the land with variations, the country’s viticultural areas stretch from icy Patagonia to the copper-rich Northern parts thus continuing to produce a wider range of wine styles.

Climate is Dry

Argentina’s climate is found to be dry with average annual rainfalls ranging from 6 to 16 inches.

These climatic conditions are found to be helping the wine growers in maintaining the vineyards naturally without any phytosanitary treatments.

Also, the dry climates are favouring the production of organic wines here.

Water Purity

Argentina’s winemakers are among the few winemaking industries in the whole globe to enjoy the outstanding water quality.

The water which is got from the mountain valleys is found to be pure with no contaminating activity that could alter the quality of the wines.

Here, the primary of irrigation is found to be the melting water from the ‘Andes’.

Read more about Wines from Argentina

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Major Wine Varieties of Argentina

With almost 1,500 wineries, the country is cultivating red (53.80%), white (20.11%), and rosé (26.08%) wine varieties.

Let’s see the major wine varieties of the country here:

Red Wine Varieties

  • Malbec
  • Bonarda
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Syrah
  • Merlot
  • Tempranillo
  • Pinot Noir
  • Tannat
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Petit Verdot
  • Otras

White Wine Varieties

  • Chardonnay
  • Chenin
  • Riesling
  • Sauvignon
  • Semillón
  • Torrontés Mendocino
  • Torrontés Riojano
  • Torrontés Sanjuanino
  • Viognier

Others

It is to be noted that, the grape name which is appearing on the label should constitute a minimum of 80% of the wine as per the current Argentine wine laws.

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Author

Tharani Rajamanickam

Tharani Rajamanickam

Winewriter

I am Tharani, I have Bachelors degree in Biotechnology. I am passionate about the wine industry and continue to explore, learn and share and I bring in a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help you keep updated with best wines in the world. Stay tuned..

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