Argentina Tourism - The Wine Route
It covers more than 200 thousand hectares and 26 thousand vineyards spread from North to South. Every year new labels and styles emerge. Tastings and exclusive accommodations in some of the 1300 wineries.
The history goes back to the time of colonization. For more than 500 years the productions were taking different colors and tannins, the result of strains that achieved important international awards such as Malbec.
It is a grape of French origin, which due to the bonanza of the Argentine lands knew how to regenerate with a unique mood in the world. Large and small family businesses offer visits to tourists where they learn about elaboration and harvesting.
Regions and particularities
The wines of each region are different from each other, and each area has varieties that distinguish it. The choice of the ideal terroir for each line is one of the constant concerns of the wineries.
Although the first productions took place in Santiago del Estero, later Mendoza was installed as one of the most beneficial places. The dry climate, the meltwater and the height of the soils were elements of utmost importance for crops that achieved characteristics of excellence.
The best wineries are in the provinces of Cuyo, the North, the Center and Patagonia, where rural farms were erected that even have exclusive hotels in the same vineyards.
To the guided tours and tastings are also added other tours, such as harvest programs, museums, outdoor lunches, horseback riding and special dinners in the dark cellars surrounded by barrels.
Wine tourism has been booming for years and destinations such as Salta, Catamarca, La Rioja, San Juan, Neuquén, Córdoba and Río Negro invite visitors to tour its fields painted in violet, brown and green colors.
Highlights An
Ideal guide to visit the most outstanding localities in wine production is Route 40, which connects the best vineyards from North to South. To begin with, the province of Salta stands out for the goodness of its valleys in scenarios more than 2 thousand meters high.
In Cafayate, one of the most distinctive white strains in the world is made: Torrontés. Descending up to Catamarca where the pink and white varieties are lent more in a mountainous relief and variable climate. The largest number of productions are in Tinogasta.
La Rioja has excellent varieties especially in Chilecito, Anillaco, Sanagasta and Famatina, whose Torrontés was internationally recognized. Among the most important wineries is La Riojana Cooperativa Vitivinifrutícola which has been operating since 1940. While the highest-tech one bears the name of San Humberto.
In the case of the province of San Juan, the Valley of Tulum is the main producer of grapes, with the benefit of a dry and temperate climate that achieve the optimal conditions for the Syrah. And although the wineries use modern machinery, even today it is possible to appreciate the oak barrels where the most precious labels are aged.
Making a section of a few kilometers it is worth reaching Córdoba, in the heart of the country, where one of the first wines called Lagrimilla was produced. The destinations to visit are the Colón Department and Colonia Caroya, dedicated to artisanal wines.
In Patagonia, the best is in the Upper Rio Negro Valley, where the largest amount of fruit in the country is produced. And among the most developed strains is Pinot Noir, Semillon, and Merlot.
In the province of Mendoza, it is the main activity of agriculture. Cradle of the best Malbec, it is where the largest number of wineries are located. Classified as one of the eight wine capitals worldwide, the landscape invites you to tour wineries and extreme adventures among snow, rivers, and mountains.
Before the most important infrastructure, it offers guided tours, courses, or personalized sensory trips. In the summer it is the harvests.