A Guide to Argentina’s 5 Most Prominent Wine Regions

Argentina, the world’s fifth-largest wine-producing region, is known for some of the best wines in the Western Hemisphere. Argentina’s wine industry has evolved significantly since its beginnings in the 16th century, and its wines only gained international prominence in the 1990s.

Oenophiles who visit Argentina should consider adding at least one wine region to their itinerary. Here are some of the best wine regions to visit in Argentina.

Mendoza

The Mendoza province is Argentina’s largest wine region. It accounts for over 60 percent of Argentine wine and an even larger percentage of the country’s total wine exports. The region lies on a high plateau at the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Western Argentina.

It is the New World home of Argentina’s most famous wine variety: the French Malbec grape. However, there is plenty of variety in Mendoza, as the region also has large plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Torrontes.

Mendoza City is a global wine capital and one of South America’s top wine tourism cities. March, when the city holds its annual National Harvest Festival, is the best time to visit. In addition to plenty of opportunities to taste wine, the festival features parades and audiovisual spectacles that celebrate the region’s winemaking culture.

San Juan

Accounting for about 16 percent of the total vineyards in the country, San Juan is Argentina’s second most prominent wine region. San Juan’s vineyards are spread throughout several valleys in the central-west part of the province, specifically the alleys of Calingasta, Iglesia, Jachal, Pedernal, Ullum, and Zonda.

These valleys have ideal conditions for producing the region’s characteristic fruity wines, including a warm and dry climate, low annual rainfall, and rich soils of sand and clay.

Syrah is the most commonly grown grape in San Juan, but the region also produces its own unique Malbec varieties. Bonarda is the second-most planted grape. Other popular varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Torrontes, Pedro Gimenez, and Moscatel de Alejandria.

La Rioja

La Rioja is located at the foothills of the Andes Mountains, north of San Juan and Mendoza. It is most famous for producing white wines, such as Torrontes Riojano. However, winemakers in La Rioja also produce a variety of red wines, such as Syrah, Bonarda, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

According to locals, La Rioja is one of the oldest wine regions in Argentina. The Spanish are said to have planted vines here in the late 16th century.

La Rioja lies in the rain shadow of the Andes, which means that the wine-producing parts of the province rely on access to water. Thus, the vineyards are scattered throughout the province. The vines are planted in high-altitude areas,

anywhere from 770 to 1,850 meters.

Vineyards in this region enjoy copious amounts of sunshine during the day, followed by chilly nights due to the alpine winds of the Andes. This temperature variation slows the overnight ripening process, which leads to a longer growing season and wines with a balance of fruit notes and acidity.

Salta

Located in the far north of Argentina is the Salta region. Its vineyards are found among mountainous terrain, with elevations as high as 3,000 meters above sea level. Most of Salta’s vineyards are located in the Calchaqui Valley. This region is known for several unique varieties of Malbec and Torrontes.

Just like in La Rioja, Salta’s wine country benefits from the rain shadow of the Andes, which keeps precipitation low with an average annual rainfall of 7 to 10 inches. The mountains also provide irrigation for the vineyards in the form of melted snow.

The major wine-growing areas of Salta include Cafayate, El Arenal, and Molinos. In recent years, Cafayate has garnered international attention for its premium wines, which are influenced by the region’s unique terroir.

Catamarca

 Catamarca is located in remote Northwestern Argentina among the Andes. The region was only known for growing table grapes and raisins until the beginning of the 21st century, but it has quickly become one of the hottest emerging wine regions in the world.

The terrain of Catamarca is extremely mountainous, which makes land for vineyards limited to about 2,500 hectares. The primary grapes of Catamarca include Criolla Grande (accounting for more than a third of the vineyards), Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Torrontes.

Most of Catamarca’s vineyards are near the Abaucan River. The combination of low latitude and high altitude creates ideal wine-growing conditions, as the hot temperatures typical of the Southern Hemisphere are balanced out by the high elevations of the region, which can reach 5,000 meters above sea level.

Catamarca also benefits from being in the rain shadow of the Andes, which makes the region dry and hot. The vineyards are irrigated by melted snow from the mountains, which flows into the region via a river.