This document provides information on the various wine regions of Argentina, including their altitudes and key details. It discusses the major wine producing regions of Mendoza, San Juan, La Rioja, Salta, Catamarca, Rio Negro, and Neuquen. Mendoza is the foremost region, producing over 80% of Argentina's wine between altitudes of 1640 to 4921 feet with varieties like Malbec, Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, and more. San Juan has over 121,000 cultivated acres across valleys from 1968 to 3937 feet in altitude growing Syrah, Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Greco Nero primarily.
2. CUYO
With more than 392.484 acre of
Mendoza vineyards, Mendoza is Argentina’s
foremost wine-producing Province. In
392.484 acre cultivated fact it is in this Province where more than
80% of all Argentine wine is
Main Varieties manufactured.
· Malbec
· Bonarda In Mendoza, today we find a quality-
· Cabernet Sauvignon oriented industry under constant
· Syrah
development and with a focus on the
· Tempranillo
achievement of the best terroir-variety
· Merlot
· Pinot Noir
relationships possible. Certainly,
Mendoza features an enviable array of
·
·
·
Chardonnay
Chenin
Sauvignon Blanc
grape varieties, given the Province´s
considerable altitude and range: from
1640 to 4921 ft above sea level.
Welcome to
Argentina’s
· Torrontés
· Semillón
· Viognier Mendoza´s basic viticultural geography
· Tocai Friulano can be divided into three large oases:
one in the North, on the basin of the
Mendoza and Tunuyán Rivers, one in the
Center, and one in the South, washed by
Wine Regions
the Diamante and Atuel Rivers.
By carefully studying the Province´s
territory, however, one can discover a
multiplicity of features distributed
among a number of highly differentiated
terroirs, each terroir having its own
altitude and soil characteristics. These
terroirs, coupled with Mendoza’s
protracted, dry and mild-weathered fall
season, enable wine producers and NORTH PATAGONIA
enologists to materialize the dream of
producing wines of their own design -
harvest decisions being made based on Salta Salta is the most northerly of Río Negro The Río Negro Valley is located 39°
Argentina´s wine producing areas and South, at 984 ft above sea-level.
their desired degrees of grape maturity.
lays claim to the highest commercial Together with the Province of
5.184 acre cultivated 6.936 acre cultivated
altitudes vineyards in the world. The Neuquén, Río Negro boasts the
Province´s production center sits in southernmost vineyards in the world,
San Juan San Juan is the second largest wine-
Main Varieties
· Cabernet Sauvignon
the area known as Valles Calchaquíes Main Varieties:
· Merlot
with an average annual temperature in
producing Province in Argentina, both · Malbec (Calchaquí Valleys). · Malbec this region is 15°C.
121.039 acre cultivated in terms of vineyard-covered area and · Tannat · Pinot Noir
in total production volume. It features · Merlot Although the plural designation used · Semillón The ecologic conditions in Río Negro
· Bonarda · Ugni Blanc
a number of producing valleys, · Syrah
in this case is not correct (actually, it is · Sauvignon Blanc
are ideal for the production of white
Main Varieties
· Syrah including Tulum (the most important, · Chardonnay only one valley), the area is comprised · Chardonnay varieties, including Traminer, Riesling,
· Bonarda on the banks of the San Juan River), · Chenin of a number of terroirs located at Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
· Cabernet Sauvignon Ullum-Zonda, Calingasta, Jáchal, different altitudes ranging from 5577 ft
· Malbec
Iglesia and Fértil. in Cafayate, 6561 ft in Yacochuya and But the region also features red
· Greco Nero
· Merlot
9842 ft in Colomé. varieties such Merlot and Pinot Noir,
· Cabernet Franc Altitudes range from 1968 ft, in the where the latter finds its most thriving
· Torrontés lower districts of the Tulum Valley, to Salta offers an interesting array of environment.
· Moscatel de Alejandría
3937 ft at El Pedernal Valley (a micro- tastes and its fragrant Torrontés white
· Chardonnay
· Ugni Blanc area within Ullum-Zonda). wines, the most typical variety in the
· Sauvignon Blanc region, are widely regarded as the
· Viognier The varieties most commonly finest expression of this unique
cultivated in this Province are variety.
Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Greco
Nero (almost nonexistent in the other
regions) and Syrah who deserves a
special mention, as in San Juan it
reaches a varietal expression which is
well-known all over the world. Catamarca Although the wine industry in this Neuquén The area known as San Patricio del
Province has traditionally been Chañar, at 40° South latitude, is where
focused on the production of table most of Neuquén´s wineries are
6.068 acre cultivated 3.652 acre cultivated
wines, or so-called “regional wines” concentrated. Altitudes in this area
Main Varieties made from Cherry or Muscatel grapes, vary from medium to low, and the soil
Main Varieties
· Cabernet Sauvignon the transformation of the industry · Malbec
conditions are typically excellent.
· Syrah seems to have taken root, for good. · Merlot
· Malbec · Cabernet Sauvignon Strong winds pose a major challenge
· Torrontés
Today, the fledgling development of · Pinot Noir to vineyards in this area, the only 21st
· Chardonnay
Syrah, Malbec and Cabernet · Sauvignon Blanc
century wine region on the planet...
La Rioja Although there are some small Sauvignon wines (some of which have · Semillón
scattered areas in this Province where been successfully launched to the Moreover, with almost 3700 acre
wine is produced at a reasonable market) give Catamarca a promising planted over the last six years, four
21.000 acre cultivated future. state-of-the art wineries in operation,
volume, the most renowned wines
made in La Rioja originate in the and three additional ones in the
Main Varieties Famatina Valley region. pipeline for the near future, Neuquén
· Torrontés has become the largest-growing
· Cabernet Sauvignon
The valley sits between the Sierra de viticultural center in the Argentine
· Syrah
Velasco and Sierra Famatina mountain Republic.
· Bonarda
· Malbec
chains. As with the rest of the
· Chardonnay Argentine wine-producing regions, the
weather in this area is dry (the annual
median rainfall in the region is 185m
mm), relatively windy, and with the
alluvial deposit soils commonly found
in geologically ancient valleys.
Altitudes are certainly considerable,
ranging from 2624 to 4593 ft.
The technological developments
achieved over the last five years, in
particular the new drop watering
systems and winery machinery, have
facilitated the production of the
region´s typical Torrontés: a white
wine characterized by a uniquely
voluptuous yet elegant bouquet.
Furthermore, interesting improvements
have been made with regard to the
cultivation of Syrah, Malbec and
Chardonnay varieties.