Contents
Argentina is the fifth largest wine producing country in the world. Argentine wines owe their appearance to Spanish colonization. The first vines were brought to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and only then winemaking spread throughout the country.
Local producers were initially focused on quantity, not quality, with 90% of Argentine wine settling in the local market rather than being exported. Since the 1990s, the policy has changed somewhat: winemakers began to care more about quality, and the share of exports also increased. Since the early 2000s, enotourism has begun to develop in the country.
History
As already mentioned, the Spanish colonialists and Christian missionaries had a hand in the emergence of Argentine winemaking. In 1556, Father Juan Cedrón brought Chilean vines to the country and planted the first vineyard. It is believed that it was this small non-commercial production that became the birthplace of the Criolla Chica variety.
A year later, Jesuit missionaries began commercializing Argentine wines. In the XNUMXth century, an epidemic of phylloxera broke out in Europe, which forced many eminent winemakers to move to Argentina, where they could find application for their experience, knowledge and skills.
In general, winemaking in the country has always been directly related to the economic situation. At the beginning of the 90th century, when Argentina was one of the ten richest countries in the world, the level of wine consumption reached 1980 liters per person per year. During the period of superinflation in the XNUMXs, the purchasing power of the population fell significantly, and with it, the volume of production.
In the late 1990s, the country began to adopt European winemaking technologies and expand sales markets, including the UK, the USA, and Europe. Now Argentine wines are considered to be a good and affordable analogue of wines from the “classic” European regions: they are cheaper, and due to the hot climate, the bouquet of such drinks often turns out to be richer and brighter than in cooler countries.
Climate
The main producers of Argentine wine are located in the western part of the country at the foot of the Andes, between the Tropic of Capricorn and 40 parallel south latitude. In most regions, an arid climate has been established, with precipitation rarely exceeding 250 mm per year. In summer, the air temperature can reach up to 40 degrees, and at night it can drop to 10 degrees, creating a sharp temperature drop.
Frosts are rare in winter, although temperatures can drop below freezing. Strong, dry and hot winds blow in the north-west of the country, the humidity is low, so the grapes rarely suffer from gray mold or other similar diseases.
Features of the production of Argentine wines
Until the end of the 1990s, the yield of Argentine vines could exceed 49 tons per hectare, which is 5-10 times higher than European norms. Now this is monitored and thinned out overly dense plantings.
Argentina is a unique wine-producing country not only not affected by the phylloxera epidemic, but, it seems, having some kind of special immunity to it. The grape aphid that causes this disease dies in the local climate, so even infected plants recover quickly and the crop does not suffer.
Because the country’s soils are mostly dry and there is little rainfall, Argentine winemakers use sophisticated irrigation systems that bring water from the snowy peaks of the Andes.
Wine regions of Argentina
Wine production is concentrated in the western part of the country at the foot of the Andes. Main regions of production:
- Mendoza (Mendoza). The largest wine region in the country, which accounts for more than 2/3 of the total production. Famous for its red wine Malbec (Malbec), which has become virtually synonymous with Argentine wine.
It is divided into sub-regions:
- Central region. Varieties: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay.
- Eastern region. Varieties: Sangiovese, Syrah, Bonarda, Tempranillo, Torrontes, Chenin, Chardonnay.
- Southern region. Varieties: Chenin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cerlo, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay.
- Uco Valley. Varieties: Malbec, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sémillon, Chardonnay.
- San Juan. This region originally produced low-quality wines from the indigenous varieties Criolla and Cereza, but now they produce good Shiraz and Malbec.
- La Rioja. Like San Juan, the region initially prioritized quantity over quality. However, the investments and advanced technologies of recent years have done their job, now quite decent Torrontes are being produced here.
- Salta. The region specializes in white Torrontes, although Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah and Chardonnay can also be found here. Local vineyards are located at an altitude of more than 1500 meters above sea level, the wine is fragrant, sweet, with a rich fruity bouquet, tones of rose, peach and lemon.
- Patagonia. The southernmost vineyards of the country are located here, and the unique climate of this region allows you to get exceptionally tasty Pinot Noir.
Famous brands of Argentine wines: Domaine St. Diego, Pulenta Estate, La Rural, El Lagar Winery, Catena Zapata, Achaval Ferrer Winery.
Quality requirements
According to Argentine law, if a grape variety is indicated on the label, this means that the wine is 100% composed of only it, without impurities. The main autochthonous varieties are Cereza, Pais, Criolla Grande.
How to drink wine from Argentina
Argentinean wine is mostly drunk young, although some producers age their products in oak barrels.
As for gastronomic combinations, of course, they depend on the grape variety. You can focus on several classic solutions:
- Semillon and soft ricotta cheese;
- Torrontes and meat carpaccio;
- Young Syrah and pork in sweet sauce;
- Malbec and beef, vegetable stew, stewed eggplant;
- Chardonnay and sweet pastries;
- Pinot and lamb.
In addition, Argentines love to serve red wine asado – a popular national dish of fried meat. This fatty food goes especially well with Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Pasta is also good.
White Muscat can be eaten with pizza with a variety of cheese toppings, you can also serve it with just the cheese itself.
Sparkling wines in Argentina are served for dessert and eaten with sweet dishes or fruits.