Why is Argentina famous for wine?

The high altitude deserts of the eastern Andes mountains have given rise to a high quality wine industry. Indeed, the terroir here is well suited to Argentina’s adopted grape variety, the ubiquitous Malbec which is now responsible for some of Argentina’s most famous wines.

What wine is Argentina known for?

Argentina Wine Regions The region is best known for Malbec, but it also grows several other grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and more. The wineries in this region produce around 80% of the country’s wine.

How did Argentina’s wine industry began?

The deeply-rooted wine culture in Argentina Argentina’s wine history goes back to the early colonial period, when the first vines were brought over to Argentina from the Old World by the Spanish conquistadors who needed to produce wine for Mass.

Who brought wine to Argentina?

Spanish
The history of Argentine wine dates back to the 16th century and the time of the Spanish conquest. The first vines were planted at that time from stock brought on ships from Spain and were the mainstay until noble European varieties were introduced in the mid-19th century.

What wine is grown in Argentina?

The leading grape in Argentina in terms of reputation and quantity is Malbec, a Bordeaux variety imported to Argentina from France in the mid 19th century. Other red varieties produced in Argentina include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bonarda (known as Charbono in its native Italy), Syrah, Tempranillo and Pinot Noir.

Which region produces most of the wine in Argentina?

province of Mendoza
The vineyards of Argentina The main producing region is the province of Mendoza producing more than 60% of the Argentinian wine, followed by the provinces of San Juan and La Rioja, and then Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca, La Pampa and Rio Negro.

How many wineries are there in Argentina?

2000 wineries
Wine Tourism in Argentina There are around 2000 wineries accross different Argentinian wine regions, many of which are open for visitors and offer wine tourism experiences.

Who made the first wine?

The earliest remnants of wine were discovered in the site of Hajji Firuz Tepe, in the northern Zagros Mountains of Iran. The wine dated back to the Neolithic period (8500-4000 B.C.). Carbon dating confirmed the wine was from sometime between 5400-5000 B.C.

Does Argentina produce wine?

It might come as a surprise, but Argentina is the fifth largest wine producing country in the world behind Italy, Spain, France and the USA. With 215 thousand hectares under vine, Argentina produces wine in 14 of its 23 provinces.

How many wine regions are in Argentina?

Among white wines, the Argentinian wine region’s signature grape is Torrontés, which yields a floral, tropical-tasting wine. The country also produces Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. There are seven denominated Argentinian wine regions: Mendoza, Salta, Neuquén, Río Negro, Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan.

What is the history of Argentina’s wine industry?

Wineries started to pop up alongside the tracks and from 1880 to 1900, planted vineyard hectarage grew by more than fivefold. The industry was stinted during the crisis of the 1930s, but towards the latter half of the 20th-century consumption was once again on the rise – and Argentina hit its heyday of wine production and consumption in the 1970s.

How did Argentina change its image and production?

In a relatively short time, Argentina had changed its image and production from a bulk producer of low-quality wines for an undemanding domestic market to a producer of highly sought-after export quality wines.

What is the history of Malbec in Argentina?

Pouget was hired as a viticulture specialist and this important event is celebrated every year with what is now known as World Malbec Day. Pouget founded the first agricultural school and vine nursery in Argentina in Mendoza and he introduced French grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Malbec.

Where do Mendoza’s wineries come from?

Indeed, there are many cases of European immigrants from winemaking regions, such as the Italians Juan Giol and Felipe Rutini, who came from humble backgrounds and managed to establish their own wineries in Mendoza.