The geography.
Sun, desert, and mountains. Argentina's wine production area is located in a 4,800 mile long strip of irrigated desert that runs alongside the Andes mountains from Salta in the north of the country to Patagonia in the south. In Salta, you'll find the highest altitude vineyards in the world. In Patagonia, you'll find some of the coolest vineyards in the world. The one thing they all have in common? Sunlight. On average, Argentine vineyards see about 340 days of sun per year and very little rainfall. Ripening problems are few and far between. Because of this plus the fact that irrigating vineyards is legal in Argentina, you rarely see a bad vintage.
The grapes.
In the States, we all know about Malbec. Juicy, spicy, red fruit, alcoholic with a bit of oak, goes down easy with burgers and is also easy on the pocketbook. Most of us by this point have also heard about Torrontes, Argentina's one true native white varietal. Incredibly aromatic, floral, and fruity, perfect ice cold on a hot summer day. The best Torrontes are coming out of the high altitude vineyards in the north of the country. Malbec and Torrontes grow especially well in the Argentine climate, but Argentina is much more than just these two well-known varietals.
Patagonia is producing excellent, earthy Pinot Noir, Salta is crafting peppery Cabernet, and impressive Cabernet Franc is coming out of the Valle de Uco. Moreover, I've been impressed with the likes of Syrah and Bonarda (Malbec's little brother) in the recent months. The truth is, they are experimenting with almost everything here- the weirdest one I've heard recently being Carignan, a grape from southern Rhone. Of course, how can they know for sure what works and what doesn't if they don't try everything? I admire this inquisitiveness and sense of adventure.
The culture.
In 1970, Argentine wine consumption was at a soaring 92 liters per capita, making it the worlds 4th highest wine consuming country after Italy. Since then, with rising popularity of soda and beer, consumption has dropped dramatically, but Argentine appreciation for wine is still apparent in all parts. Enough so that last year President Kristina Kirschner officially declared wine the "national drink" of Argentina.
Even the smallest and most basic restaurants in Buenos Aires have appropriate if not excellent stemware. Wine is treated with care, even if it's the most rustic juice. I remember my first day in Buenos Aires at lunch in a divey empanada joint we ordered a $6 bottle of Malbec. I was shocked to see the server perform perfect tableside wine service, presenting the cork to me and pouring a bit in my glass to taste. The wine was incredibly basic, as $6 empanada wine should be, but I was overjoyed with his attention to the presentation.
Mendoza is truly the center of wine culture in Argentina. The city and surrounding towns survive off of the sale of grapes, wine and the healthy wine tourism. Each year there are numerous celebrations for the grape harvest, they are called Fiestas de la Vendimia. Each small town in the region has it's own Fiesta, electing it's own Queen of the Harvest. Of course the biggest celebration occurs in Mendoza in April, the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia, when people travel from all over to party in the city for days- enjoying copious amounts of wine, music, dancing, tasting competitions, and general revelry. More details on this in the coming months!
