Wine is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in Argentina and among wines, reds are the favourites but it’s just a normal conclusion when considering that red meat is one of the countries specialities in gastronomy.
Being the 5th wine producer in the world, Argentinean wines find its roots in Spain. The first vines were cultivated in Argentina during the Spanish colonization. As it happened in many other New World wine producers, Argentina’s wine production was mainly focused in quantity until the end of the twentieth century, then, with a willingness to export their wines, wineries started focusing their efforts on quality rather than quantity.
So, inthe 1990s Argentinean wines started being exported to other countries and the country is currently among the largest wine exporters in South America. The most important wine regions in Argentine are located in Mendoza (also a very touristic destination and producing up to 60% of total wine production in the country), San Juan and La Rioja, Salta, Catamarca or Río Negro.
As varied as the immigrant groups that arrived to Argentina are the types of grapes grown in the country, French Malbec, Italian Bonarda, Torrontés from Spain, etc. Some of the international popular grapes in Argentina are Syarh, Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon.
The main wine regions of Argentina are located in the west with a semi-arid and desert like climate. Mendoza is the main wine producing area in Argentina followed by San Juan. La Rioja region was one of the first were wine was produced in Aregntina by the Sapnish missionaries, known nowadays for the aromatic Moscatel they produce. Other regions are found in the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy and Salta, Cafayate region and some wine regions located in Patagionia, where the sparkling wine industry has developed.
Pedro Giménez grape is the most popular in Argentina, mainly grown in Mendoza and San Juan region. This grape is similar, but not the same, as Pedro Ximénez grapes planted in Spain. Torrontés Riojano is the second most planted grape in Argentina followed by Muscat of Alexandria, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc among others.
Although there are over 1,500 wineries in Argentina, two main companies produce up to 40% of the wine alone, these are Bodegas Esmeralda and Peñaflor.
