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Countries index – Winemaking – Grapes
| Argentina: In 1556 father Juan Cedrón established the first vineyard in Argentina when cuttings from the Chilean Central Valley were brought to what is now the San Juan and Mendoza wine region. This firmly established viticulture in Argentina for the next three centuries. Ampelographers suggest that one of these cuttings was the ancestor grape of Chile’s Pais and California’s Mission grape – the Criolla Chica variety The first recorded commercial vineyard was established at Santiago del Estero in 1557 by Jesuit missionaries, they began with irrigation and dams to direct water from the melting glaciers of the Andes to sustain it. This was followed by expansion of vineyard plantings in Mendoza in the early 1560s and San Juan between 1569 and 1589. A provincial governor later instructed a French agronomist to bring cuttings from France to Argentina, these included the first Malbec vines in Argentina. Subsequently, the phylloxera epidemic drove Europeans from their ravaged vineyards, and brought their skills with them to Argentina. The country proved unique in its absence of the phylloxera threat elsewhere in the world. The phylloxera louse is in Argentina, but a weak biotype that does not survive long in the soil. Its damage is not significant enough to kill the vine and the roots eventually grow back. Some suggest that it is helped by its remoteness ans that the country’s wine regions arebordered by deserts, mountains and oceans, natural barriers to the louse. Today, its wine industry is centered around the Mendoza region, located in the eastern part of the Andes Mountains. The growing season in Argentina starts in October with harvest-time beginning in February.  Image source: vineyards.com |
QUICK LINKS TO ARGENTINA REGIONS
[Buen]
[Mend]
ARGENTINA REGION-BY-REGION
| Buenos Aires: A historic law in Argentina forbade the production of wine outside the Cuyo region, to protect and empower the industry in the west of Argentina. It was rescinded, so that more recently (21st c) southern Buenos Aires became a wine-producing area. It is also known as the Médanos appellation, the administrative seat of Villarino Partido. Médanos is the only Argentine area dedicated to the production of premium wines with oceanic influence.  Image source: blog.winesofargentina.com Areas: Bahía Blanca, Médanos and Tandil  Image source: decanter.com Grapes: Red: Albariño, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot noir, Tannat, Tempranillo. White: Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris, Sauvignon blanc.  Image source: argentina.guides.winefolly.com | Mendoza: At the beginning of the 21st c, the vineyard area in Mendoza alone was more than the area of New Zealand and Australia combined and was slightly less than half of the entire planted area in the United States.  Image source: fooddrinkdestinations.com Areas: Most of the vineyards are in the Maipú and Luján areas. The sub region of Luján de Cuyo was the first appellation established in Mendoza. Maipú has sub-regions: Coquimbito, Cruz de Piedra, Las Barrancas, Lunlunta and Russell. Other sub-areas include San Martin, San Rafael, Tupungato, Uco Valley and Valle de Uco. Grapes: Red: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cereza, Criolla Grande, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot noir, Syrah, Tempranillo and a number of Italian varieties. White: Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris, Sauvignon blanc, Semillón, Viognier.  Image source: argentina.guides.winefolly.com |
[Cata]
[Pata]
| Catamarca: The fifth most-important winegrowing area in Argentina. The first commercial plantings were in 1930s and had established itself by the 21st c. Vineyards in Catamarca, northwest Argentina, are mostly on the banks of the Abaucan River, and in the Fiambalá region. The area uses melted snow for irrigation, the Andes shelter it from rain.  Image source: southamericawineguide.com Areas: Belén, Pomán, Santa Maria and Tinogasta (the most productive). Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Charbono/ Bonarda, Criolla Grande, Malbec, Syrah, Tempranillo. White: Chardonnay, Torrontés.  Image source: argentina.guides.winefolly.com | Patagonia: This is Argentina’s southermost wine-growing area – just 2% of Argentina’s production. This viticultural area stretches 300 kms (200 m) along the Neuquen and Rio Negro rivers, from Anelo in the west to Choele in the east. This is because Patagonia is a desert and winegrowing can only take place along the rivers.  Image source: argentina.guides.winefolly.com Areas: Bahia Bustamente, Chubut, Neuquén, and Rio Negro. Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah. White: Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, Torrontés, Viognier.  Image source: argentina.guides.winefolly.com |
[Juju]
[Salt]
| Jujuy: The northernmost tip of Argentina, grows wine in its canyons and valleys. These are some of the highest-altitude vineyards in the world. Few European vineyards are above 900m (sea level), but these are over 1,500m! There were plantings here in the 17th c, but commercial wine production began only in 2003.  Image source: southamericawineguide.com Areas: Quebrada de Humahuaca, Valles Templados Grapes: Red: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah. White: Sauvignon blanc, Torrontés. Image source: argentina.guides.winefolly.com | Salta: Salta has the highest altitude vineyards worldwide, some over 3 000m, and in the delta formed by the between the Rio Calchaqui and the Rio Santa Maria.  Image source: wine-searcher.comAreas: Calchaquí Valleys (Amaicho, Cachi, Cafayate, Colalo del Valle, Molinos, San Carlos, Santa Maria, Tucumán), El Arenal. Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Criolla Chica, Malbec, Merlot, and Tannat. White: Chardonnay, Torrentés. Image source: argentina.guides.winefolly.com |
[Lapa]
[Sanj]
| La Pampa: Located in the center of the country, La Pampa is an area of rolling grassland plains with fan-like valleys having significant slope variations. It is northern Patagonia. Its vineyards are at the southwestern end of the region where it borders Rio Negro. Production is around the town of Venticinco de Mayo, in the upper valley of the Río Colorado. Its success is based on its varied soil types – sandy loam, clay, silt…  Image source: argentina.ladevi.info/ Areas: La Pampa Rio Colorado Grapes: Red: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir. White: Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Viognier. Image source: argentina.guides.winefolly.com | San Juan: In the north-west of Argentina., set in the foothills of the Andes. It is semi-desert, yet is the second largest producing area (to Mendoza) with around a fifth of Argentina’s vineyards.  Image source: wine-searcher.com Areas: Calingasta, Pedernal Valley, Tulum Valley, Ullum, Zonda Valley. Grapes: Red: Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Criolla, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo, Torrontés Riojana. White: Cereza, Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, Torrontés Mendocino, Torrontés Sanjuanino, Viognier.  Image source: argentina.guides.winefolly.com |
[Lari]
| La Rioja: Juan Ramírez de Velasco came from La Rioja In Spain in 1591 and founded a city he called Todos los Santos de la Nueva Rioja. There was some friction between the two Riojas, but In 2011, the Argentinian province won a judgement allowing it to continue to label its wines as ‘La Rioja Argentina’.  Image source: southamericawineguide.com Areas: Capital La Rioja, Castro Barros, Chilecito, Coronel Felipe Varela, Famatina, General Lamadrid, La Rioja, San Blas de los Sauces, Sanagasta, Vinchina. Grapes: Red: Aspirant Bouchet, Barbera, Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Torrontés Riojano. White: Cereza, Moscatel de Alejandria, Image source: argentina.guides.winefolly.com |
Wines of Argentina
Image source: blog.winesofargentina.com
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