Report from: The Evolution of Argentina
31 Jul 2015- Details
- Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
(July 29, 2015) ... It seems like it has been awhile since the Argentinian's have been to town and talked about their wines instead of just letting us taste them ... sure there was a tasting afterward, but first they had to inform us that much has changed in the land on the other side of the Andes: They have broken down the country into many appellations and three major regions - North, Cuyo and Patagonia. The whole of the country grows grapes between 1000 and 10,000 feet above sea level (300m - 3000m) - making it some of the most high altitude vineyards growing in the world.
Most of Argentina's grapes grow in the Cuyo region, where Mendoza is situated, this region is home to 95.52% of cultivates vines in the country.
Grapes (vitis vinifera) first came to Argentina in 1551, brought by Spanish colonists ... today it is the 5th largest producer, 9th largest exporter, 8th in cultivated surface and 7th in largest wine consumption. They also have some 1301 wineries within their borders. Mendoza grows 80% of the grapes, San Juan 16%, La Rioja 3% with at least 7 others growing less than 2% each. Wine is big business in Argentina, the Uco Valley alone has seen vineyards double since 2012.
Click here to see the wines of the seminar as well as a selection of non-Malbec wines
