Argentina

In characterizing Argentines: They live like Parisians; they are Italians who speak Spanish; and they dress as if they are the English!

All in all, Argentina’s wine scene today is diverse as Italy’s; and Argentine winemakers are open to new world techniques as in Spain; so costumed like a Savile Row gentleman and as elegant as any Parisian connoisseur, Argentine winemakers are making a mark in the global wine trade as never before.

Argentina’s wine industry is vast and centuries old. As the fifth-largest wine producing country in the world, at least one million square miles of land are planted with vineyards. Dating to the 19th century, a time when the Argentine wine industry first began, wines were produced for everyday domestic consumption.

Then, late in the 20th century, Argentina’s wine industry quickly transformed, joining Old World countries in sales volume and rivaling their other New World wine growing countries in quality. From planting vines at higher and higher elevations to the adoption of new techniques from California and France, Argentina has solidly entered the first ranks of producing world-class quality wines. The result has been an explosion in fine wine production, propelling Argentinian exports to record levels.

Today, Argentina’s wines are one of the fastest growing in the world. It’s been a remarkable transformation, almost inconceivable from just a few decades past. And as the world now knows, it is the Malbec grape that has driven Argentina’s rise in global sales and estimation.

Malbec—grown originally in southwest France, in Cahors and, notably, across Bordeaux—is perfectly suited to d to Argentina’s high-elevation Andean vineyards. Here, where temperatures range from very hot to very cold, Malbec flourishes, as it is a late ripening varietal with thick skins. As Malbec fully ripens in this unique climate, (a development that rarely occurs in Bordeaux), the resulting grapes yield rich, dense, age-worthy wines with deep, red and black fruit flavors. So much so, the world’s new wine consumers have gravitated to these wines by the millions across the globe.

Argentina is more than Malbec however. Cabernet Sauvignon, another key Bordeaux variety, is increasing in popularity, both as a single varietal bottling and in blends with Malbec. In addition, Argentina’s Torrontés grape, a native white varietal, is also gaining popularity. A hybrid cross of Criolla and Muscat, Torrontés tastes like a blended combination of Chardonnay and Viognier; it’s floral, fruity and extremely aromatic; and like Malbec, Torrontés has won a growing following with new global consumers who themselves have help make Argentina a prime mover in the world of wine.