Mendoza Wine Region

Daniel Hoey
Publisher, All About The Grape

Mendoza, two hours by plane from Buenos Aires, is the heart and soul of Argentina's wine country, where European settlers introduced winemaking in the 19th century.

Mendoza produces 70% of Argentine wine from its over 356,000 acres of vineyards and Argentina is the fifth biggest producer in the world.  Mendoza is home to more than a thousand wineries.

Mendoza Province is one of the driest places on earth. The soil and climate make for perfect grape-growing conditions. Constant sunlight and little wind are other important factors, as well as mineral rich water from the mountains.   While Cereza and Criolla Grande, used for inexpensive “jug wine”, have historically formed the backbone of the Mendoza wine industry, their importance has steadily declined as the Mendoza region focuses more on the export of European wine varietals, the planting of which has increased by 20% annually over the past decade and now is over 75% of the production of the region. Mendoza has become famous as a world-class producer of Malbec, and also produces fine examples of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

While the combination of wonderful wines and fascinating, inviting wineries is central to tourism in Mendoza, it also ranks as a famous attraction for “adventure tourism” with world-class hiking, biking, fishing, rafting, horseback riding and skiing, all within reasonable driving distance of downtown Mendoza.  The event of the Argentine wine industry calendar, the Vendimia (wine harvest) festival attracts local and international wine lovers to Mendoza every March for a week of parties and parades.