Argentina is one of the most important wine-producing countries in the New World, and the largest producer of wine in South America. 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. Originally from Bordeaux, this grape variety is now responsible for some of Argentina's most famous wines, which are characteristically bright and intense, with floral notes and flavours of dark fruit.
Wine in Argentina
Covering just over one million square miles (2.8 million sq km), Argentina is the second-largest country in South America. It stretches from the southern border of Bolivia in the north to the southern tip of the continent.
It is home to a vast array of landscapes, from the rocky peaks of the Andes in the west to the fertile Pampas lowlands in the east. Most viticulture in Argentina takes place in the foothills of the Andes.
Of its wine regions, Mendoza is, without doubt, the largest and best-known in the country, often producing great wines to critical acclaim. Here, desert landscapes and high altitudes combine to make a terroir that gives rise to aromatic, intensely flavoured reds.
