The Allure Of Argentina Wines Cultivated In The Shadows Of The Andes

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Argentina Wines
Cultivated In The Shadows
Of The Andes Mountains

The history of Argentina wines began with Jesuit missionaries in the mid-16th century who introduced the art of winemaking to South America, first in Chile and then in Argentina. They transplanted vines from the province of Santiago del Estero to Lujan de Cuyo in the Mendoza province. Wine was cultivated there on a small scale for 300 years.

Aged for months or years, many Argentina wines were mediocre in quality until the arrival of the European settlers. They brought with them the skills and knowledge of winemaking as passed down for generations. In 1885 a railroad was built from Lujan de Cuyo to Buenos Aires making the national availability of wine much greater.

Most of the wines produced were consumed domestically until the 1980's. Spanish, Italian and American investments were made to the wineries along with better formulas and techniques. Today Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wines worldwide.

The two most important grapes used in Argentina are the Malbec for red wine and Torrontes for white. European varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Reisling, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc have also been introduced and are cultivated along with the criollas, or native vines.

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The wine regions of Argentina are irrigated by the melting snow of the Andes. The abundant sunshine, low rainfall and low humidity create the perfect climate for growing grapes. Mendoza is the largest and most important wine producing region. Next is Rio Negro in northern Patagonia. Good growing conditions exist in the cool mountain air of the northern province of Salta , where grapes are grown over 5000 feet above sea level. Other growing regions include San Juan which produces mostly whites, the hot climate of La Rioja , and the smallest wine region of Catamarca .

We are fortunate that Argentina wines are distributed to the rest of the world, but why do they taste so much better when you actually drink them there?!!

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