Wine Regions- Argentina
The land known for gauchos and
cattle farming is becoming known for something else, wine. Argentina has slowly
been making waves in the wine world because of the many quality wines being
produced here. What Argentina is known for are its red wines, most notably
Malbec. The most popular white grape is Torrentes Riojano. Argentina is the 5th
largest producer of wines in the world and is the largest producer in South
America. The United States is the number one This is why Argentina is emerging
as one of the major players in the wine industry. The terroir of this region
makes the cultivation of grapes ideal and this next section will go into detail
about the major grape growing areas of Argentina.
Argentina was first introduced to
grapes by the Spanish back during their conquest of Latin American during the
1500s. The major white grape varieties of Argentina are Torrontes Riojano,
which has a total acreage of 20,300, and also Chardonnay, which has a total of
14,200 acres. The major red grapes of this region are Malbec (comprises 60,300
acres), Cabernet Sauvignon (43,700 acres), Syrah (30,630 acres), Merlot (18,300
acres), and Tempranillo (15,775 acres). Another grape that is not listed as a “major”
grape variety is Barnardo, which has a total of 45,500 acres. However, this
grape is only used to blend with the other red grapes due to its smooth tannic
structure.
In the western portion of Argentina, east
of the Andes, is the region of this country in which wine grapes grow the best.
Orographic lift makes this region dry and sunny, thus great for the growing of
grapes. The three major regions of this country in which wine grapes grow are
grown are called Salta, Mendoza, Uco Valley, and Rio Negro. Salta surrounds the
city of Cafeyete and is the northern most of these regions. This region
specializes in the white grape Torronto Riojano and the red grade Cabernet
Sauvignon. Mendoza surrounds the city of San Juan and is just south of Salta.
This area’s specialty is the famous Malbec grape, Tempranillo, and Cabernet
Sauvignon. Mendoza has 600 of the 960 wineries in Argentina, making it one of
the largest (if not the largest) wine-producing regions. Southwest of Mendoza
is the wine region called Uco Valley. This region grows the Syrah and Bonarda
grape. The favorable climate and relatively cheap land prices has brought in a
lot of foreign investment from the likes of France, Spain, Portugal, Chile,
Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. This bodes well for the future of
Argentine wine.
In conclusion, it is difficult to not see
how important Argentine wine is going to be in the wine world. A favorable climate
and the extremely tasty Malbec grape leading the way, Argentina may no longer
be known for its quality beef but be known for its wine. I will be very
intrigued to see if Argentina steps up its wine game on the world stage.
All
information derived from: Windows on the
World: Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly
A.J. Smith
4/21/13
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